Philosophy of Possession
by Untold Story
Summary: FrostIron. Takes place a year or so after Avengers. Both god and mortal are broken, without anyone to help them pick up the pieces. Passion flares, and a journey begins that will lead them to find love and healing in the most unexpected place. Rated M for a reason.
1. Edge of the Unknown

Hey there everyone! Just wanted to introduce my new FrostIron story, _Philosophy of Possession. _It's a work in progress, but has grown beyond my wildest dreams, and I have more to come. Also wanted to thank TheDarkElement who has been wonderful in helping me with this story. Part of the credit goes to her for inspiring me and giving some scenes an extra oomph when they needed it ;) Sadly, I own nothing. If you notice any terrible mistakes please let me know. Enjoy!

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"JARVIS, where's Loki?" Tony Stark asked as he entered the elevator that would take him to his suite at the top of the Avengers Tower.  
"Mr. Laufeyson is currently in the kitchen, sir. I'm sure he'll be interested to learn how you got to this state."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," Tony grimaced, holding his side. He probably had a broken rib or two, and the way his arm was swelling up... Tony sighed, coughing wetly and pressed the button that would take him to his lab. He had a medical kit in there. Hopefully he could patch himself up and get rid of the bloody clothes before Loki saw him. He hissed as he realized the blackness clouding his vision wasn't the lights dimming and fought to suppress it. Perhaps his injuries were worse than he thought. Leaning against the wall, he listened to the quiet hum of the elevator until it dinged, announcing its arrival to the level that his lab was on.

Staggering out, he squinted, the lights seeming extraordinarily bright. "JARVIS, tone the lights down dammit. Where's that bloody medical kit?" He muttered mostly to himself.

"The medical kit is in the back of the cupboard near the kitchenette, sir. I don't believe it is bloody... yet." JARVIS intoned without any sort of inflection towards what he obviously believed was a bad situation.

Tony half heartedly flipped off a camera, then sighed in relief and stumbled over to the counter, grateful he had thought to install the kitchenette. Really, it had been at Pepper's insistence, but he was grateful for it now nonetheless. Holding himself upright by pure strength of will, he considered what had to be done.

He winced, and gripped what was left of his shirt with his good hand, lifting it over his head. Stars clouded his vision at the pain the movement caused as he slid down against the cupboard, desperately grasping at threads of consciousness.

His vision was dimming, but he faintly registered Loki appearing in the lab and looking around before seeing him and giving a shout. Loki was suddenly at his side, grabbing his face and seemed to be saying something, but Tony wasn't able to hear him, hanging on to consciousness with a desperate grip that was slipping. The movement of Loki's lips and words finally made a connection somewhere in Tony's head as the room temperature dropped.

"Tell me who did this to you, and I swear I'll make them pay," Loki snarled as his glowing hands hovered over Tony's body, checking his injuries. When he looked up, his eyes were murderous with red appearing at the edges. That roused Tony a bit, enough that he swayed drunkenly and Loki had to grab him to stop him from face planting into the floor.

Tony grimaced, knowing it would be worse once he found out who had actually done him harm. He felt a dim sense of pride at having lived through it, but the state his body was in wasn't saying much.

"Loki, I'm fine, don't worry about it. I'll be fine in a week or two, you'll see." Tony tried to reassure the god, but all that came out was a drunken sounding mumble that left him coughing up blood. Loki gazed down at his lover, the cold abating and his eyes going back to their masked appearance, with worry hovering at the forefront of his mind, and anger being moved to the back.

"Lover, you're in no shape to talk, I don't want to hear anything about being fine or not worrying. For as much as you care, I've got to worry for both of us it seems. You've got three broken ribs, five cracked, one punctured lung, a nasty concussion that's probably wreaking havoc on your head, and a couple of nasty gashes that are going to bleed you dry in the next couple of minutes if leave them unattended. Now, you can either behave while I heal you, or spend a couple weeks in the hospital while I tear apart the sonuvabitch who did this to you." This last part was hissed, a chill emitting from him to go along with his words.

Loki, sharp as ever, didn't miss the way Tony cringed when he spoke the last part of his threat. He sighed and lowered himself down to the same level as the inventor, not wanting to move him and puncture his other lung.

"Alright, lay down - carefully! I'm not patching you back together if your carelessness gets you killed before I do anything about it. This isn't going to be easy on either of us."

Taking a deep breath and settling himself into a semi comfortable position, Loki reached for his magic and got ready to work. He had emotionally invested himself in this human. One who had cracked the ice around his heart and soothed the angry red wound in his mind that falling from the Bifrost had left behind. Anyone who harmed Tony was asking for a slow and painful death. Loki vowed to see that threat through as he saw the bruises and gashes that were littered profusely along the other man's body, from his face to his legs. Thankfully, he thought, nothing had damaged the arc reactor.

Loki sent himself out of his body and into a healing trance, applying his magic to all the injured areas, ensuring that infection wouldn't set in, and giving everything a head start on healing, as well as healing the broken ribs. The screams from the man beside him when he healed his ribs broke through his trance and he gritted his teeth, barely managing to hang on long enough to be sure that they healed properly before he let himself out of the healing and back to the real world. Tony was still beside him, and Loki breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he saw Tony draw in a slow and hesitant breath. He must have passed out, barely hanging on as he was when I found him, Loki mused.

Loki gathered the man up in his arms and teleported them to his bedroom, laying him down as gently as possible, but unable to avoid the whimpers of pain that escaped Tony, unconscious as he was. The spark of cold fury that had ignited within Loki when he found Stark only grew colder as his hands hovered over all the damage that had been done. Even as well into the healing stage as they now were, he could only progress their state forward a few weeks. With the extent of damage done, healing everything completely was too much. So Loki settled for finishing by making sure the flesh wounds were sealed and turning pink with the formation of new skin before releasing some of the tensions that had been building up. Sitting on the bed beside his lover of almost a year, his mind flashed back on the last few months. The rather twisted affair they had struck up after Loki returned from Asgard had healed the broken shell of a man that was Tony, and given Loki someone who hadn't cared if Loki was a monster masquerading as a god. Stark had kept digging, picking away at the cracks and crevices until he had collapsed the facade Loki had kept up around others for countless years, and accepted, even fallen in love with who Loki really was.

The memory of the shape his lover had been in rekindled the rage again, even though it had remained simmering quietly under the surface the entire time. Healing bone was always the most painful and the most draining. Exhausted, Loki slumped beside the now quiet mortal who had snared him. He had passed out from the agony, but there were tears still leaking from the corner of his eyes. Closing his eyes in pain at what he had done, even if it were necessary, Loki curled protectively around the prone body beside him and slept.

Loki woke up slowly, blinking at the faint light coming in through the window. It was evening, meaning only a few hours had passed since he had fallen asleep. Turning to the man beside him, he sat up and gazed down at him anxiously. He was breathing better, a peaceful expression on his face. As if sensing the god, Tony shifted with a grunt of pain, throwing an arm across the others legs.

Shaking his head at this, Loki quietly settled Tony's arm back at his side so he could get out of bed, absently waving a hand to neaten his appearance as he did so. He had to find who had done this and why. There was a lesson to be taught; no one messed with what he considered his. There had been no callout for the Avengers, he would've heard it, so who would dare accost one of Earth's mightiest heroes?

Loki's face darkened as he remembered Stark's earlier reaction when he found him lying on the floor in his lab. The way he had cringed when Loki threatened harm whoever had done this to him set him thinking. Loki wasn't one to hesitate at harming another, especially if said other had harmed what he loved. The fact that Stark would cringe at that, as if he were afraid Loki definitely wouldn't hesitate, knowing the darker side of Loki, gave way to a thought, a very dark one that almost matched the expression currently taking over Loki's face. Stark would only think he wouldn't hesitate to murder one person. Giving a low snarl, Loki wrapped his magic around himself, quickly instructing JARVIS to call him should the need arise, and vanished.

_**New Mexico**_

"I would have words with you, Thor Odinson**.**" The low, coldly furious voice of his brother cut through Thor's reverie about how wonderful Midgard's food was. He really needed to convince someone to go to Asgard and show their cooks how to make certain things.

"Loki, my brother! How fare you this fine morning?"

"You _idiot_!" Loki snarled and stalked up to Thor, summoning a knife from seemingly nowhere and throwing it at Thor, pinning him to the table he had been sitting at. "You insolent dull minded lout! Do not try to pretend that everything is fine! All was well until something of mine stumbled in, damaged and bleeding. Apparently you hadn't been updated on a certain issue, Tony Stark is mine. Hurting him is something I will not allow, even from one who considers himself a relation to me."

Thor rumbled in protest, face darkening. "Loki! I did what was in your best interests! The Man of Iron dared to ask permission to court you! He is not worthy of you brother, I advise you to stop seeing the man now!"

Thor's face remained stubborn, fixed in his belief, causing Loki to go pale and quiet with rage. He wasn't quite sure how he hadn't blasted Thor to the ends of the Nine, but he was firm in one line of thought.

"Tony Stark has made me a better man than anyone or anything ever did back in Asgard. I admire him for going as far as to even ask you, when we've already been together for several months. You have him to thank for the fact that I'm not killing you now. It seems he's more honorable than you are in more ways than one. Think on it Thor, and while you're at it, stay out of the lives of me and mine. If you ever dare put a finger on Tony Stark again, I will make it my personal mission to see you experience double the pain I was put through when I fell from the Bifrost."

Thor stared at his brother, whose eyes were red, flesh tinged blue, and hands crackling with green energy.

"Brother, I did not know of your affection for this mortal. The Man of Iron approached me and asked permission to court you. No one is worthy to court you, but if he has your heart, he may... he may stay by your side. I won't stand for him hurting you brother. I understand Tony Stark hasn't committed to any one being, and do not wish to see you harmed under this knowledge."

Loki sighed, the red fading from his eyes, skin no longer turning Jotun blue.

"Thor, he has so much more then my heart. He mended what was broken inside me, and while I can't ever understand why, he still loves me despite seeing who I truly am. Who I used to be, before he came along."  
Thor grinned and stood up from the table, not minding the tear in his cloak from the knife pinning it as he did so. "I am glad to hear this. Even though I do not fully approve, if the Man of Iron holds your heart close, I give him my permission to continue courting you."  
Loki hissed at him, still furious. "The Man of Iron never needed your permission, nor did I need your interference. Stay away from us until I can stand the sight of you without showing you the pain of one fallen from the Bifrost. I do not think you would far as well as I have under it's bite." He said darkly. With that he vanished, leaving in a cloud of green smoke and appearing next to Tony's bed.

Staring down fondly at the little mortal who had claimed his heart, Loki couldn't help but thank the Norns for giving him a chance to meet this man under different circumstances. He walked around the bed and slid in next to Tony as gently as possible. Looking at Tony and the way he was whimpering brought back memories of the first time Loki met him, back in the alley way.

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That's all for now, folks! Shall update soon, reviews are greatly appreciated! *nudge nudge, wink wink*


	2. Wake of Devastation

_Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?_

_You build up hope, but failure's all you've known._

_**Nine months ago...**_

After Tony's break up with Pepper, he had gone downhill fast, falling into the old cycle of too much alcohol and partying. Loki had been hiding in New York after being sent down to make reparation, having served his prison sentence in Asgard. He stumbled upon the billionaire retching his guts out in an alley, suffering from from what was clearly too much alcohol in the mans system

Using a wisp of magic to find out what was wrong, Loki couldn't help but lift an eyebrow at the extent of the damage to the mans liver and kidneys. He contemplated the sad excuse for a man just as Stark lifted his head and saw the god watching him, swaying drunkenly as he stumbled over to peer at his face.

Loki's face twisted at the fumes being emitted from the man. "Stark, you stink like a week old carcass. Step back before you harm yourself even more than you already have." His gaze swept contemptuously over the man weaving before him.

"It is you... Loki, right?" The man's breath was rank, and Loki's eyes watered.

"Of course it's me, you bumbling idiot! Do you know what you're doing to yourself?"

Stark's breath caught as he gagged, falling to his knees, he tried to get air into his lungs, proof that he indeed must know. "I couldn't do it..." He whispered when he finally sucked in a large enough intake of air to form a coherent sentence. Loki eyed him, contemplating the little mortal who was becoming more and more interesting by the second. There was obviously more to the story then he thought there was.

"Couldn't do what?" He finally asked, unable to help himself from poking and prodding, taking apart the puzzle to experience the thrill of seeing the lifeblood, feeling the beating embers of life at his fingertips. Not that he wanted to do anything harmful to the man for the time being, but he made an intriguing puzzle with which to pass the time.

Stark looked up at Loki, and the god stumbled back, shaken to his core at the broken look in his eyes. It was one he was all too familiar within himself, one he had seen when he glanced into mirrors, one he tried to avoid.

"I couldn't give Pepper what she wanted... especially not after seeing it. The portal... I woke up screaming every night for six months after that... if I even bothered to sleep. If I didn't, it would still whisper to me, making me think I was going mad, or more so than I already am." Tony's smile was bitter, self-deprecating as his mind checked out of the building for a moment.

Against his wanting to Loki found himself feeling pity for the mortal. Having fallen through the portal himself, he knew the nightmares of which the man spoke of. More often than not he would live in a waking dream, not sleeping for days or weeks on end. The whispers of which he spoke of were stronger within Loki, having been connected to their master as he had been.

Loki sighed and reached out, shaking the mortal slightly when his mind seemed trapped within the universe that he had seen oh so briefly.

"Stark, you're not helping anything by dying of alcohol poisoning." The god told him sharply. Because that's exactly what was happening... his body was slowly succumbing to the amount of alcohol that ran through it daily. Tony's breathing was ragged, his heart rate erratic, and Loki didn't miss the little catches of breath that almost became gags. Seemingly Stark had outdone himself and had drank too much too fast, his body refused to put up with it.

"I just want... peace." Stark practically begged, eyes suddenly snapping to the gods, trying to find something there. Something Loki was almost uncomfortable with him looking for. Why look at him to provide peace when he still searched for it himself?

With a sigh, he reached for the mortal, grabbing his arms and hauling him up before teleporting them to his place of residence. Stark stumbled against the god with a gasp of surprise, before coughing and stumbling over to the nearest garbage to heave over it. A voice greeted them both, but Stark was used to it and Loki paid it no mind knowing it wasn't an actual human being. He watched with a critical eye as the man vomited blood instead of alcohol or half digested food. Tony stared at the blood once his stomach quieted, obviously knowing what it meant.

"Stark. You will be dead within the next three months if you continue like this. You all know I am here to repair damages. I am rather surprised you haven't attacked me yet, but given your condition I think a pass is free of charge this time."

Tony waved weakly at him, not even bothering to look up as he shuffled around the kitchen looking for a glass to get water to rinse his mouth out with. Loki waited until he had done so, then suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a feather light touch to his forehead. Catching the man as he began to fall, Loki determined that the only way to get the man to be still and accept his services was for Stark to be unconscious.

He found the bedroom with the help of the disembodied voice he now knew was called Jarvis for some reason. Laying the mortal on the bed the god sat down next to him, watching him sleep. Relaxed in sleep, Tony appeared carefree, younger and with fewer disappointments sitting on his chest then when he was awake. The man grunted with a pained expression, clutching the object emitting light in his chest before relaxing as Loki found himself speaking a few soothing words.

Loki found himself curious as to why the man had an object of such power in his chest, but figured whatever reason there was behind it, it would be a sore subject for Stark. Shaking his head he made himself comfortable on the bed beside the unconscious man beside him and placing one hand on the man's stomach, the other on his liver. There was a lot of damage, and years worth of alcohol abuse wasn't going to totally disappear in one healing session.

Wondering how far he should take the healing, he made sure the immediate threat was cleared away, seeing to it that the man wouldn't die in his sleep from the alcohol running rampant in his veins. It would take several days, and a lesson or two, to get the mortal to stop drinking like he was, but with a spell or two-

Loki suddenly frowned, wondering why he was thinking of going that far for Stark. He did what he wanted, and right now he just wanted to stay under the radar of the Avengers. They knew he was on Earth. No doubt SHIELD knew exactly where he was most of the time, but this was getting directly involved with a member of the team. Loki glanced back at the mortals face, finding it twisted into a grimace.

Stark suddenly screamed, bolting upright in bed, eyes wide open, pupils blown with fear and panic. Tears were streaming unnoticed down his face, and he was gasping for air as if there wasn't enough in the room to fill his lungs completely. Loki reacted quickly, grabbing Tony's shoulders, and shook him while talking in an even tone to get his attention.

"Stark! You're fine, you're at your home in the Tower. With JARVIS." He added, slightly helpless as to what would bring the man back from the abyss of pain and fear he had succumbed to while dreaming.

Tony looked up at him, the fog from the dream slipping away, clarity returning. "Loki... I thought you were a dream, or hallucination."

The god smirked. "No, I'm not a dream or hallucination. Perhaps you would prefer it if I were?"

It was a loaded question, Tony could tell that with a glance at the light gleaming in the gods eyes. He shook his head and regretted it immediately afterwards, clutching his temples with a groan. There was a smirk in the gods voice when he spoke. "Does something hurt, by chance?"

Tony glared. Norse god or not, he was an annoying little shit when he wanted to be and Tony was in pain and didn't give a fuck who he pissed off.

"As long as you're not going to kill me, or defenestrate me again when I don't have my bracelets on, feel free to stay. I need pain killers." He groaned that last part as he stood up, head swimming. Stumbling forward, he was rather surprised when Loki stepped forward and supported him. There was a silence as Tony looked up at the god in surprise, and the god simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"I so need a drink right now." Tony turned away and headed to the bar.

"You will not want to do that, Stark." Loki said, following him. Tony whipped around to stare at him in confusion.

"Not do what? Of course I want a drink. I have a Norse god in my house who's seemingly just rescued me from the pits of New York City, healed me when I had finally started dying of alcohol poisoning, and now... telling me not to drink? What are you, Steve in disguise?" There was a note of contempt, softened by fondness for the Captain as he spoke.

"I did not save you just to watch your try and kill yourself again!" Loki snapped, eyes firing green fury at Stark. Tony reached for the bottle and Loki muttered a few words under his breath, motioning a few fingers towards Stark when he was done. The man gasped and bent over with a hand on his stomach, glaring at Loki as he did so.

"What the fuck did you just do to me?" He gritted out. Loki smiled mischievously.

"That should hold you. At the moment you aren't able to drink anything alcoholic without vomiting. I'd be careful if I were you, I'm sure throwing it all up will be such an inconvenience." His eyes sparkled with humor, and although Stark didn't seem to think it funny, it was for his own good.

Tony narrowed his eyes, grabbed the nearest bottle of tequila and chugged some of it down before choking. Throwing the bottle away from him with a look of revulsion, he rushing to the sink where he promptly threw it all up. Loki winced. If there was one thing he knew after being on Midgard for a couple months, it was that the mortals weak alcohol never tasted as good coming up as it did going down.

Tony washed his mouth out before whirling on the god with a look of fury that would have Fury jealous.

"What the fucking hell have you done to me?" He spat out, eyes wide. He wiped a hand across his mouth, a look passing over his face briefly as he remembered the taste of the alcohol.

Loki shook his head. "You won't be able to drink alcohol without throwing up until I take off that particular spell I'm afraid. Call it what you may, penance for trying to take over Earth, throwing you out a window... I'm afraid you've caught my interest, little mortal, and I don't like letting things die before I tell them to if I like them enough."

Stark went pale with rage. "You had no right to do that! Get the fuck out of my Tower, before I call the rest of the Avengers!" He snarled. Loki lifted an eyebrow, but he could see the mortal was serious. It seems taking away his alcohol wasn't nearly as funny to him as it was to Loki. Nonetheless, he disappeared, going invisible to see what Stark would do next.

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By the end of the day, Stark had sampled every bottle of alcohol he had, throwing up all of them. Loki tsked silently. It was useless, the spell would always make it taste revolting to him until Loki chose to lift it. With a sigh, Loki decided to go find amusement elsewhere, making a note to come back intermittently to make sure the mortal had weaned himself off the dependency successfully.

Loki no longer questioned his motives, choosing to think of Stark as a project. If it was a project, he didn't need to care, just go through with the plan and make sure he was successful. He would be successful. He was always successful when he put his mind to it.

Three days later, Loki popped back into the Tower to check up on Tony. He appeared silently, invisible still, to the murmur of voices. Taking a look around, he realized that Banner and the Captain were standing in front of Tony's door, bodies tense and faces concerned.

"I've never seen him like this Bruce. What's wrong with him? He suddenly stops drinking alcohol, and now he's crashing because of it. Isn't there a way to make the transition a bit gentler on him?" Captain America asked Banner urgently.

Banner shook his head. "I can't just give him alcohol to make it better Steve. In the long run it's for the best that he's no longer dependent on alcohol like he was, even though he's in this kind of shape because of it." A scream came from the room just as he finished talking and both men looked towards the closed door with a wince. Steve looked like he was about to rush inside, but Banner held him back and tugged him to the bar. They both drank a glass, throwing it back like water as more jagged edged screams tore out from the room beyond.

Loki cringed, wondering what had gone wrong and teleported into the room. Stark was drenched in sweat, face pale and body shivering, even though it seemed a thousand degrees inside the room. He strode to his side and touched a hand to his forehead. It wasn't so much his spell as much as it was the fact that his body had acclimated itself to the alcohol over the years, and having none in his system was giving his system a shock.

Loki sighed softly and whispered a few words, making Stark shiver and go quiet, face going lax as he fell asleep. Loki turned away, slightly troubled that the man had such difficulties. His dependency on alcohol had gone up since the last time he had seen him. Wondering what would make the man that desperate for oblivion, he teleported away.

Over the next week, Loki was in and out of the Tower, most of the time invisible to check up on Stark before teleporting himself out. After the first wave of shock, Stark had gotten better, but his body still fought, rejecting any food he ate. The second week he was able to get up without doing a faceplant, and steadily improved from there on out, with the exception of alcohol. His team was confused at the abrupt change, but accepted it was for the best and moved on.

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Hey there everyone! May I just say I love you guys for the response this story, and the one Partaking of the Forbidden Fruit has gotten. It's been amazing seeing others add it to their watch list, and favorites.. inspires me so much ^^ Thanks to TheDarkElement again for helping keep the mistakes to a minimum :P xD

Hope you like the second chapter just as much as the first, feel free to ask me questions if anything confuses you... that's all for now folks! I'll hopefully have the third chapter up fairly soon. I'm sure you already knew this but... _I love reviews! XD _


	3. Entangled in You

You know, inspiration strikes at the oddest of times. Sometimes bad, sometimes good. In this case, it's not particularly great, but I'm trying to work with it and my college class. An update for my faithful readers and followers. Many thanks to you for being so patient.

_**WARNING**_: This chapter is pretty much the **reason** the story is M. Proceed at your own risk. This begins our introduction to the ... smutty side of their relationship. My first time attempting it with such... gusto, so be gentle please ^^;

Also, as I was reminded by a good friend, and a reviewer, these characters are OOC a lot of the time, and also ... not mine. As much as I would love to own Tony and Loki, if only to make them actually kiss, because all that sexual tension is just... simmering when they're in the same room and it drives me nuts XD

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A month and a half after his last visit to check on Stark, Loki dropped in randomly, not knowing why, but feeling sure something was wrong. The mortal had officially become a project for him, something to muse over when he was bored. Teleporting into the living room but staying invisible, he didn't see anyone. Not one of the Avengers were home, except... he cocked his head and teleported to the lab where he knew Tony kept to himself most of the time.

He found the man sitting against a wall, his head resting on his legs, muttering to himself while he rocked ever so slightly back and forth. Loki was still invisible, but somehow the mortal knew. He raised his head and raked a sharp look over the lab, pausing when his eyes passed over the spot where Loki had manifested.

Loki gave up on hiding and made himself visible, eyeing the mortal. There was something wrong and decidedly fragile about the man sitting in front of him.

Tony lifted an eyebrow. "Come to make sure your pet hasn't done itself harm?" He queried, an edge to his voice. Loki frowned at him. Stark was pale and sweating.

"You do not look well," Loki said abruptly.

Stark shook his head with a wry grin. "No shit, Sherlock."

"Your system has adjusted to being without alcohol, this is not withdrawal, as you call it." Loki said slowly, seeing a desperation in Stark's eyes he didn't like.

Stark shook his head slowly. "No, this is not. Although I must say normally I would be drunk off my ass when I feel like this. Either that or bringing someone home. I just.. need something to drown out the voice, the memories and the nightmares..." He said with a haunted expression. Loki walked until he was standing in front of the mortal, then crouched down. He had forgotten how painful it could be when the voice was whispering, and there was nothing to lessen the impact of what it was saying.

"What would make it better?" He asked. Tony looked up at him, face twisted with an odd mix of desperation, fear, and.. want.

"This," the mortal said just before he lunged forward and crashed his lips to Loki's. Loki stumbled back in shock, scrambling to not land on his ass. He didn't calculate for the clutter crowded around them and landed on his ass anyways, Stark straddling him, lips still locked in a desperate kiss. Loki paused before kissing him back, slowly succumbing to the spell that was being woven. Tony traced the gods lips with his tongue, smiling devilishly.

While Loki couldn't deny the fact that he had found the mortal attractive, and became more than a little aroused when he exchanged banter with him, he had thought to cut off contact with the man after this visit. Still, the way Stark's lips moved against his, with his body brushing against Loki's in all the right places, made him harden quickly.

Stark moaned, tearing their mouths apart and rocking against him slowly, permitting the god to feel just what this small amount of contact had done to the mortal. He hissed, feeling himself jerk at the contact and knowledge of Stark's need. He leaned forward and nipped at the mans neck, eliciting a low moan from him. He smiled in satisfaction and continued nipping and soothing the red spots with his tongue.

With a pained grunt, Stark pushed him back, face aghast and wary. "Fuck. I shouldn't have done that. What the hell was I thinking? Even for me, this is a new low. Fraternizing with the enemy. Fuck!" His little tirade trailed off as he looked at the god.

Loki was staring at him, and a light came on in his eyes as his gaze slowly traveled downward. First pausing at his lips, then the arc reactor, and finally the tent in his pants that wasn't concealed. His mouth smiled hugely, and his eyes... Tony shivered at the look in his eyes.

"Ah Stark... your mind might deny it, but your body cannot. Look at how it yearns for me..." Loki whispered.

Tony tried to get up, to get away, but the trickster's hand was suddenly on his cheek as he followed Tony when he stood up, not restraining, but caressing. His mouth was brushing Tony's, tenderly tasting, before savagely nipping his lip so unexpectedly that Tony opened his mouth to gasp in protest. Loki took his unexpected offering and plunged his tongue inside, delighting and horrifying Tony with the thrill he got from it.

Loki moaned, and moved forward, pushing Tony back to the wall until Loki drew up flush against him. He rolled his hips, and Tony broke off the kiss with a gasp as Loki ground his hips even harder against Tony's own. If his arousal was bad, Loki's was raging. He slid down the wall, bringing the god with him, until they were both on their knees, tongues battling for dominance. He pushed the trickster down until he was on his back and Tony was kneeling above him, fingers scrabbling at the many buckles of Loki's outfit. Smirking, the god sat up and waved a hand, then maneuvered them so that Stark was on his back, both of them now naked.

Tony blinked and decided not to ask, because Loki was suddenly moving a hand to his cock, moving it up and down in a slow twisting motion. It felt so good, and he didn't think he could talk anyways... He leaned his head back and groaned, before extending a hand and caressing the gods raging hard dick. Loki growled and leaned forward to kiss him, nipping at his earlobe, then trailing down to the skin underneath Tony's chin, before settling on his neck, biting down hard and drawing another groan from the man on his back. Loki smirked as he felt Tony staring at his member, and unabashedly leaned back to stroke it, replacing the mortals hand with his own.

He watched as Tony's eyes went wide and dark with desire. Loki leaned forward and purred, "Like what you see?"

Stark reached up and grabbed him, breathing a harsh "Fuck yes," before Loki let himself fall on top of him, the friction between their bodies making both moan into the others mouth. Stark tore himself away to breathe after a minute, arching as Loki attacked his neck again, kissing and nipping, before soothing the spot with dabs of his tongue that did anything but calm Stark.

Loki smirked at the words coming from the mans mouth as he continued, making a trail down his body, leaving no doubt as to his destination. He reached Stark's hips and slowed, licking up and down, pressing kisses to the dip between stomach and groin. He felt the mortals cock jerk and grinned, eyes full of deviltry when he finally turned his gaze on the member that was begging for attention.  
Stark's cock was leaking pre-come, almost purple with need. Loki breathed on it, smirking as it jerked, and veins pulsed rather angrily at him. Reaching up, he caressed Tony's balls, lifting an eyebrow at their weight. "Someone is rather desperate... I'm surprised you haven't gotten someone to... relieve yourself with before this, Stark." He purred.

He watched as the mans face turned an interesting shade of red at his words. Stark mumbled something incoherently, making Loki pause as he nibbled at sensitive skin on the inside of Tony's thighs.

"I'm not sure I heard you correctly. Did you just say they didn't do it for you because you thought of me?" He asked with a lift of his eyebrow.

Stark lifted a face full of conflicting emotions to meet his gaze, eyes shooting sparks. "Fuck you! I didn't ask to want you whenever I tried to fuck others."

"I rather thought that might come later actually... I do intend to screw you, however." Loki purred before continuing. "Your passion for danger does you no favors, but this one time, perhaps it's working for you, instead of against you." Loki said with a slight edge to his voice.

Stark opened his mouth to reply, then arched with a slight yell as Loki took him in his mouth with no warning. The god smiled, and proceeded to show him exactly why one of his titles was Silvertongue.

Loki swirled his tongue around the mortals cock, before dragging his mouth back, making Tony hiss when Loki let his teeth graze the mans length as he did so. He stopped at the head, lightly brushing his tongue over the sensitive top, lapping at the pre-come dribbling out of his slit.

The mortal whimpered, hips futilely jerking up, trying to get stimulation. Loki took his mouth off Stark's cock, and shook his head at him, placing his hands on the other man's hips to hold him down.

"Be a good boy now, and perhaps I'll reward you." He promised with a leer. He returned his attention to the mans cock, now quite desperate for attention, with pre-come beading at the top and slowly trailing down. Loki leaned down and followed such a drop, trailing it down before lapping it up, his nose buried in the others groin.

Tony cried out, and tried to jerk his hips once more. Loki pulled back and looked at the man. He appeared to be on the edge, fingers clutching at anything, legs quivering, spread for Loki to enjoy, and eyes desperately locked on him. Loki was reminded of the state in which he had found the man and decided that this time he would be merciful. He ignored the voice that questioned his thinking of it as this time, with more to come.

Tony watched as the god summoned lube and slicked his fingers before... oh merciful gods. He arched and moaned low in his throat as he felt the god enter a long, slim finger inside him. Loki made a sound in his throat at how tight the mortal was before slowly moving his finger around, beginning a short in and out motion, only going up to one knuckle in his finger that had Stark whimpering under his touch.

Delving deeper, Loki swirled the lone figure, marveling at the tightness and warmth. It had been too long for him as well, far too long. The god watched as Stark slowly come apart at the seams.

Loki added a second finger, scissoring the two gently until the man relaxed under his ministrations, then thrusting in and out a bit faster. Stark called out, body tensing at the new experience. Feeling himself start to crumble at the sound of the mortals cries, Loki quickly added a third, thrusting in and out until Stark was ready. Just before he was about to slick up his cock, Stark handed him a condom.

"Do you think to prevent yourself from getting a disease, Stark? Or is it fear of getting pregnant that you ward against with this silly thing?" Loki asked with a leer. Stark lifted an eyebrow, managing an impressively stoic expression despite his position. The god shook his head irritably, feeling himself throb with need as he stared down at the man splayed in front of him.

Grabbing the silly thing, he put it on and slicked himself with the lube. He then grabbed the mortals legs and spread them further before placing his cock at Stark's entrance. The man's breathing stuttered, and Loki pressed forward, watching Stark's face contort between pain and the desire that was rolling through both of the men. Loki shifted his hips, rolling them and making small movements until Stark was whimpering and thrusting his hips up asking for more.  
Growling, Loki grabbed the man's hips and thrust hard, until he was buried hilt deep inside him. They both paused and moaned, Loki biting the Man of Irons shoulder in an attempt to not take him until he found his pleasure, wanting to see the man come apart at his hands. The mortal was so incredibly tight and warm, he had to muster all of his control just so he didn't come with a few strokes.

"Tell me Stark, how many men have fucked you?" He panted, pulling out slowly, then thrusting back into the man, fucking him harder and faster each time.

Stark grunted, hips rising to meet Loki with every thrust. "None," he gritted out.

Loki paused, shocked. "None?" He questioned slightly incredulously.

"I always fucked them." Stark growled. Loki groaned, and thrust hard, until he hit a spot and Stark froze, then proceed to shout a list of expletives as his body shook with pleasure.

Loki leaned forward, knowing he wasn't far off from coming, and took the mortals cock in hand, grabbing it and wasting no time in making Stark writhe underneath him from the sensation. The wet slap of their bodies coming together, and the dry friction of his hand proved to be too much together, and Stark suddenly tensed and screamed, ass clenching around Loki and cock spurting white strands into the air.

Stark shook as he came down from it, and Loki wasted no time in thrusting a few more time before arching over the man and crying out as he came in him. His hips rocked through his orgasm, and he stayed that way for another minute after his climax, body gleaming with sweat. He finally gave a moan and pulled out of Stark before waving a hand so that they were clean and dressed again. Tony watched him out of sleepy eyes, barely keeping himself awake.

"I trust I will not find you have drowned yourself in the bottle when I come back, Stark. I don't do this lightly, and there will be repercussions if you go too far. Take heed of my advice and you can still drink. Ignore it and never know the taste of it again." With that cryptic statement, he whispered a few words and then disappeared. Tony watched through hazy eyes that slowly closed in sleep.

Tony discovered a few days later that he could now drink a bit of alcohol at a time, only ever enough to be polite at a party, and get a slight buzz. Disgruntled, he nonetheless knew it was for the best after completely stripping his system of alcohol. The team raised a collective eyebrow at it, but said nothing.

* * *

The next time Loki dropped in on Tony, he was in the shower. It was a few days later, and Tony hadn't expected to see the god for a few weeks. He started as he heard a crash and a curse. Turning off the water and jumping out, he peeked out of his bathroom to see Loki facing the other way glaring at a stand that had been knocked over.

"It appears you've moved things since I was last here, Stark." The god said in a dry tone.

Tony chuckled, grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist and sauntered over to the gods side, still dripping.

"Well, yeah. Never figured they'd inconvenience you," He shot back.

"Don't sound so pleased." Loki replied with a bite in his voice. Tony looked up at the god, wondering 'How the fuck is he so tall?' when he suddenly noticed the god sway slightly.

He took a step forward and then scanned Loki. His armor was torn and scratched, minor gashes on his side, scratches on his face. Tony lifted an eyebrow. "Does S.H.I.E.L.D. know of your... peaceful habits while in the city?"

"It was nothing for your organization to worry themselves about. Other Asgardians came down to cause mischief, and I served them up with Asgardian justice." Loki sneered. Still, he leaned against the wall with a stubborn expression on his face. Tony sighed and shook his head, grabbing the gods arm and dragging him to the shower.

"Ok, strip. Don't give me that look, I've seen you naked before. Don't mind if I see it again." He leered before chuckling. "Look, just take off your clothes and get under the water," he said, turning on the shower again. Loki turned his mistrustful gaze from the mortal in front of his to the stream of water.

"Occasionally, I underestimate you humans it seems." He murmured to himself before his clothes disappeared and he gingerly stepped under the showers flow. He hissed as the water came into contact with his wounds. Tony frowned at him.

"Shouldn't you be able to do something to heal yourself?" He asked, confused as to why the god was still injured if he still had power.

Loki growled, but made no move from under the hot water, relaxing and leaning against a wall with his eyes closed. "My power is depleted for the moment. I would advise you to not say anything or do anything against me however, as I still have considerable strength."

Tony grinned, let the towel drop and stepped into the shower with the god. It wasn't as if the shower wasn't big enough.

"I would never dream of doing anything against you, Trickster. However, I don't think you'll mind if I just take care of a certain fantasy of mine right now..." He smirked, stepping closer to Loki. Loki opened his eyes and glared at him.

"What do you think you are doing, Stark?" The god hissed.

"Hmmm... doing you a favor," Tony replied lazily, sinking to his knees and grinning lasciviously up at Loki. The god didn't get a chance to reply as a loud moan filled the bathroom.

* * *

They never developed a set pattern for sleeping together, just one where Loki would pop in and they would fuck each other senseless. The god was never present when morning rolled around, and Tony was fine with that. It kept all the emotional shit out of his way, and didn't make for any awkward situations.

* * *

Hope you like! I love comments, critiques, reviews... anything! XD Again, a thanks to all the people who are now following and who have favorited this story. Words can't express it, but I am astonished each and every time I see someone likes my writing enough to want more :P Can't promise the quickest updates, as I'm running out of reserve where the story is concerned, so I'm trying to keep writing enough to give you an update within a week or so. Have a great weekend! ^^


	4. Pardon the Way That I Stare

"Stark," Loki purred. Tony felt chills run down his back and tried not to show how much that silken voice affected him. Tony was working on a project, and Loki had dropped in, announcing that he was bored and that Tony was to amuse him.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He replied, sugary sweet.

Loki glared at him before reclining on the couch he sat on. His shirt was suddenly unbuttoned, and Tony could see the shadows ripple and twist around his lean musculature, defining them exquisitely until he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Loki leered knowingly when he caught his gaze, and Tony looked away, damning himself for his lack of restraint. His mind flashed back to the other night and a flush began to appear on the tips of his ears and worked its way down. He heard a chuckle, dark velvet, and hated himself for not being able to resist looking again. The god gave him a droll look, face covered partially in shadow, dark intent hidden behind a facade of boredom.

Tony cursed and slapped his tablet on the table beside his chair. He was never able to get any work done on days when thoughts of the god plagued him, or heaven forbid, the god himself was there. He was out of his chair and leaning over the god in record time.

Loki smirked, satisfied with himself. Tony glared at him, furious with himself for not being able to stop. He never was able to, but told himself each time that it would be the last. He snorted. He sounded just like an addict. Perhaps that's exactly what he was, addicted to the sight, the sound, the smell of a particular Norse god with an infuriating smile that promised many things. He was too far gone to care, he thought with a curious detachment.

"You'll pay for this," He promised.

The god smiled, that smile that made Tony's breath catch in his throat each time. "That's exactly what I was hoping for." Loki hummed contentedly. Tony just growled as he lowered his head.

* * *

Tony had a habit of secluding himself in the lab for days on end, and after that time when Loki had joined him in the shower, he discovered the god took it as an open invitation to pop up any time. Granted, this made Tony nervous with his teammates running around, but Loki always seemed to know when they were gone.

There were times when Tony knew he was being watched, but never had proof that it was the god. Antsy, he had JARVIS up the security measures so he would at least know it wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D.

"You know, you've been staring at that screen for 3 hours now." The voice appeared out of nowhere, giving Tony a heart attack.

"Jesus fuck!" He gasped, jumping in his seat. Turning around, he was greeted with the sight of the god reclining languidly on a particularly rare car of his. With a sound of protest, he quickly walked forward, wincing when the god slid off of the hood. That was going to leave a scratch.

"How long have you been watching me?" He demanded as he examined the small line on the hood. Loki waved a hand, looking bemused. The scratch disappeared and Tony rocked back on his heels with a grunt of surprise. "Fancy that," He mused. "Perhaps you're useful after all." He turned away so Loki didn't see his smirk, but he felt the heated glare as he walked back across the room to his project.

An idea sprung on him, and he whirled suddenly, catching Loki off guard. Ignoring the lifted eyebrow at his exuberance, Tony stared at him contemplatively.

"Would you satisfy a curiosity of mine?" He asked the trickster.

Loki eyed him, unsure of how to respond, but not getting a chance when Tony grabbed his arm and dragged him in front of his computers.

"JARVIS, start a scan of the immediate proceedings. Keep it on my private server."

"Of course, sir." was the response. Loki had become accustomed to it, and was beginning to enjoy the subtle humor the AI seemed to have.

"Stark, what are you doing?" He asked, slightly annoyed as Tony continued to bustle around the space arranging things just so.

"I'm going to get a scan of your magic, if you don't mind humoring me." Tony replied without looking at him.

Loki lifted an eyebrow. "And with this scan, you would be doing... what?"

"Well... nothing at the moment. Just seeing how it works." Tony still wasn't looking at him.

"You could trace me." It was a statement, not a question.

"Well... yes... if I were so inclined in the future. That's not what I intend to do with it, and I can delete everything after this. You can watch me." He said self-righteously.

Loki shook his head, but nonetheless acquiesced to giving Tony the chance to examine his magic. It stopped when he experimented with frost and the machines shorted out. Tony snarled and whacked it a few times with no response.

"Stark, that does not seem to help anything," Loki observed.

"Course not, but it helps me just a bit." Tony bit out before settling back into his chair with a sigh. "JARVIS, were you able to save all the progress and results we'd gotten?"

"Yes sir, up until the experiment with frost. Shall I save them on file?"

Tony stilled, looking at Loki with a conflicted expression in his eyes. "That's up to Loki, JARVIS." he said softly.

The god paused, knowing just how much this research intrigued the mortal before him. Sighing, he quietly muttered a "It's fine, go ahead and save it." wondering at the clenching in his chest when Tony beamed at him in gratitude.

"You heard the man, JARVIS. Save it to my private server." Tony quipped before sauntering over to the god and pressing him against the table. "However shall I thank a god?" He mused out loud with a smirk.

Loki's breathing hitched. "I have a few ideas," he whispered before grabbing Tony by his neck and kissing him savagely. Tony groaned as the god ground his hips against his own burgeoning arousal. Feeling his knees go weak, he grabbed Loki's hair and tugged his head back, attacking his neck, licking and nipping his way from jawline to the dip in his throat. Loki growled and grabbed Tony's shoulders, tearing him away.

"I would have you, Stark. Here and now." The god hissed.

Tony panted, trying to maintain a clear mind despite the image of Loki taking him over the table invading. "Then what are you waiting for?" He huffed impatiently.

Loki just smirked as he whispered words of power. Suddenly neither of them had clothes on, and there was a bed behind him. "How badly do you want it?" He purred. Tony discovered he had trouble breathing at those words, and just growled as he tugged the god onto the bed behind them.

Needless to say, they didn't get much else done that day.

* * *

Hey there everyone! I just wanted to say I was overwhelmed by the great response the last chapter got. This story has reached 50 followers! Group hug! XD Can't thank everyone enough, especially those who reviewed. It's part of what inspired me to give you guys a little tidbit earlier than planned ^^ It's short, I know, but I have something longer planned for this weekend perhaps. Can't promise anything, but reviews would certainly go a long way towards encouraging me :P Yes, I do shamelessly bait readers with chapters for reviews... kind of like dangling a carrot in front of a horse XD I have no scruples like that, but I have fun while I'm at it. Hope you like this chapter! (Because I don't know how, but this pairing has seemingly given me permanent guttermind. It's for the benefit of my readers is my excuse XD)


	5. Always Running Out of Time

"Tony, man, wake up! God, you sleep like the dead!" Tony jerked backward and opened his eyes as he felt a foot connect with his shin. He glanced up to see a very agitated Hawkeye hovering over him.

"Tony, the good Ol' Cap's called a team meeting, and unless you want Tasha stringing you up by your heels, I'd suggest you get up and go." The archer said shortly.  
"Clint? What the hell? Go and tell your girlfriend to calm down. I'll be up there in ten minutes." Tony mumbled blearily before he squinted and glanced around. He had fallen asleep in his workshop, not an overly concerning occurrence, but he could feel an imprint of a wrench on his cheek.

"She's not my girlfriend." Clint snapped back at him, an odd expression on his face.

"Don't care, go away, I need to clean up." Tony groused. Getting barely 5 hours of sleep in the last three days and waking up without coffee hadn't put him in the best mood.

"Whatever Iron Butt, just hurry." Clint shot back, smirking.

Tony rolled his eyes and pushed out of his chair and away from his desk, not caring about the general mess of his surroundings. Stumbling into the elevator he hit the button to his floor, Clint barely squeezing in before the elevator doors closed, throwing a glare at Tony as he did so. Tony just smiled a razor of a smile but it fell as the Hawk closed in and poked his neck.

"Is that a hickey? You've been going out? Why haven't I seen any girls coming and going?" The archer closed in on Tony, voice mocking.

Stark whacked Clint's hand away and turned to look over at the reflective walls of the elevator, sure enough, there was a very telling hickey right on his pulse point.

"You haven't seen any girls because he isn't a she. He also knows to come over when you are all, coincidentally, out. He also leaves before you get back." He growled, reminding himself to tell Loki to lay off on the hickeys around the neck. He didn't need the team getting on him all the time. Especially this particular teammate.  
"He? HE? Tony, I'm shocked. Does Cap know? Does JARVIS know? Hey JARVIS, do you know how Tony keeps sneaking random men into the tower?" Clint was taking a vicious enjoyment out of Tony, and wasn't shutting up.

"JARVIS, don't answer that. Clint, I really don't care. If you're curious on how it's done, I know a few people." Tony sneered that last part before he stepped off the elevator and onto his floor as the elevator doors began to close, he left Clint standing in the elevator with his jaw hanging slightly open.  
Tony pulled his shirt off and glanced in the mirror opposite of the bed. Sure enough the hickey wasn't the only token Loki had left on him during their last romp in the hay. His chest was covered in bite marks and even more colored bruises, making him grimace slightly.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it now." He muttered to himself.

"No, I don't suppose there is." The silken voice came out of the silence without warning

Tony glanced up from his chest, carefully schooling his expression into one of aloofness, to see Loki lounging on his bed where he hadn't been before. The god rarely came to him in the day, and if he did it was usually because he was feeling bored or needed a distraction from his thoughts. "Loki, how nice. I don't suppose you could be more obvious?"

"Come now Stark, has it ever bothered you before?" Loki practically purred.

"No, but Steve-" Tony protested before stopping abruptly, face conflicted.

Loki raised an eyebrow and looked at Tony sharply. "So it's the fact that the Captain is going to see the marks that's concerning you?"

"Well, I was going to say it's the fact that Steve is going to give me shit about it is why I'm so _concerned_."

Loki let his eyes wander down from Tony's neck to his chest, lingering at the reactor before traveling lower, fire igniting in his eyes as he did so. "I rather like them. You keep insisting you're a playboy, why should bearing my marks bother you if someone else were to see them? I will go, as it seems you're going to be busy with your meeting. I'll meet you later, I wish you luck."

With that Loki vanished, leaving Tony standing once again alone in his room. "Damn god. JARVIS, next time, warn me."

"I shall endeavor to do so, sir. The Captain is becoming rather irritated with the fact that you are taking 10 minutes longer then you said you would be to come to the meeting room, I suggest you hurry."

"I'm hurrying Jarv, I'm hurrying." Grabbing the cleanest shirt he could find, Tony threw it on as he strode from the room and back to the elevator, grabbing his tablet along the way. He had a feeling this meeting would take a while and he didn't even know what it was about. As the elevator doors dinged once more he stepped off and into the meeting room, only to be greeted by silence. Looking up Tony saw all the Avengers, including Thor surprisingly, sitting around the table with Steve standing at the head.

"Tony, so nice of you to join us. I won't even ask what was taking you so long." Steve commented drily.

"You can't hurry perfection Cap." Tony didn't even bother looking around as he walked over to the only remaining seat in between Thor and Hawkeye. "You mind telling me why I was pulled from the first ounce of sleep I've had in days and told to come up here or else I'd be strung from the ceiling?"

At this point Thor stood up. "It seems that even though my brother has been released from punishment on Asgard, and sent back here, he has not informed anyone of his intentions. I would like to tell you all that he has been sent back on the Allfather's word to do right his wrongs. Though I have been told many a times not to, I still trust Loki to follow our Father's wishes."

"We appreciate knowing that Loki is back on Earth, we just don't know what he might be up to. Given the noticeable lack of evil goings on, S.H.I.E.L.D. has decided to just keep an eye on him for now." This came from Natasha who was sitting in between Bruce and Clint.

"Hey Tony, what's that on your neck?" Clint leered at Tony only to yelp when the Widow gave him a swift kick under the table. Of course, by then it was too late, and his comment had drawn everyone to the glorious bruise that had formed on Tony's neck.

"You know what it is bird brain, and I know where you keep all your nests. Don't direct attention to me just because you're jealous when you've been lacking attention in a certain department."

"Clint, that is not what I called this meeting for." This came from a hesitant Cap, who, when Tony looked up, had a faint flush on his cheeks.

"Aw, why not? I'd love to know how Tony gets his lord into the castle every time we're gone."

"Besides that being a very valid point for conversation, that's still not what I called this meeting for." Steve flushed even more, maybe it was the Lord and not Lady part that had his face colored so pink.

"Lord? I was not aware that Tony has someone of noble lineage visiting him." This came from a slightly confused Thor who was looking at Tony's neck now with interest.

"He is not a Lord, well, he kinda is, but that's completely besides the point. It's a saying Point Break. Feathers here wantss to know how I keep getting a person in and out of the Tower without anyone knowing about it." Tony muttered.

Clint opened his mouth again only to close it with a wince when Natasha muttered something low in Russian. "Бартон, оставить человека в покое. Мы бы не хотел, чтобы кто-то допросе, что произошло в Будапеште не так ли?"  
_("Barton, leave the man alone. We wouldn't want anyone questioning what happened in Budapest would we?")_  
"But Tash-" Clint opened his mouth to protest whatever she had said.

"Leave it." That last part was delivered in English and to a very confused team.

"Can we hurry this meeting up? I have things to do, and I'm sure Banner would love to get back to his Lab." Tony had finally taken a break from his tablet and was now looking at Banner, who had stayed oddly quiet throughout the whole conversation.

Steve sighed and looked around the room at the team knowing that he wasn't going to get much more done at this point in time. "Fine, we're done. Just be on the watch for Loki. I don't know when he'll show up next, but we need to be ready just in case he decides to abandon this guise of good will he's been wearing around."

Tony was more disturbed than he should be when Steve said that. The past three months with Loki had passed by extremely fast. He realized then that he had just taken it for granted how well behaved the god had been up until today. Sure, he expected him to have that glint of madness in his eyes now, but given what Tony had gleaned had happened to him, he knew it wasn't without just cause.

"Tony? Something wrong?" Steve, ever the observant one, was peering at him quizzically. The rest of the team was filing out, with Bruce giving them a look as he silently walked past them. Tony shook his head out of the fog and threw the Captain a smile, filled with teeth. "Just a bit preoccupied. Did you need anything?"

"No..." Steve answered slowly, before his eyes trailed down to the hickey and he flushed the slightest bit. Tony laughed before slapping him on the back. "You should see the other guy!" He called back teasingly as he walked out the door. The look on Steve's face was priceless, and he was far too amused by it for the rest of the day.

Later that night once Tony had successfully avoided Clint's dirty comments and Bruce's odd and inquiring looks he finally made it into his room and collapsed on his bed. He was debating on if he had the energy to get undressed when he sensed an increasingly familiar presence crawl into the bed beside him. "Long day at work honey?" He mumbled inquisitively.

"Yes. It was also terribly dull. You know how it is these days." Loki said smoothly, sitting back and staring at him, dressed only in a plain shirt and black trousers.  
"Mhmm. I do." Tony say up and drew his shirt over his head, deciding to leave his jeans on for the moment. "Clint was awfully curious today about that one hickey."  
"Was he? How strange." Loki mused half-heartedly.

"Yes. How strange indeed." Tony grumbled.

"Go to sleep Stark. I didn't come here just to listen to you babble all night." The god ordered.

"Then what did you come here for?" Tony rolled over looking at Loki who was laying on his back staring at the ceiling. Loki hesitated before answering him.

"A distraction from the dark realms of my own mind and the things that crawl there when I'm surrounded by silence for too long." Loki whispered quietly.

"Oh." Tony mumbled as he mulled it over.

"Yes, now go to sleep. You needn't be worried. If an Avenger comes in, I'll be gone before they can spot me."

"But-" Tony protested, hating how much he sounded like Clint.

"Stark! I am not in the mood! Go to sleep!" Loki hissed, eyes flashing.

"And if I don't?" Tony asked, ornery as ever.

With a growl Loki rolled over and forced Stark onto his back before coming to a stop on top of him. "Then I will be forced to make you. And I am far too tired to do anything right now, despite what you and your mouth may think."

Tony's eyes flipped between Loki's neck and his eyes while he was talking. He licked his lips, an action that dragged Loki's eyes down to them before speaking.

"By 'making me', do you mean that spell wise, or tiring me out by a certain activity wise?" Tony questioned innocently, eyes alight.

The god of lies glowered at Tony once more before ducking his head and giving a savage nip to Tony's already bruised neck, making him yelp in surprise. "Do not test me. Go to sleep, we have tomorrow and the following days to do whatever you heart may desire."

"Fine, fine. I'm going to hold you to that you know." Tony looked up at Loki once more before shoving the god off of him and rolling onto his side, back to the god.

Loki waited a few minutes before answering him. "I may be the God of Lies Stark, but even I have to tell the truth sometimes if I want my lies to be believed. That's something people often seem to forget.**" **

When Tony didn't answer Loki leaned back over and saw that the mortal's eyes were closed and that his breathing had slowed down. Smiling a secret gentle smile, Loki leaned back down and scooted right over to Stark's back before falling asleep himself. Once asleep his unconsciousness seemed to realize something was wrong and he threw an arm across Tony's stomach, making Tony grunt in surprise and scoot back closer to the god before both of them fell back into a sleep deeper than that which carried dreams.

* * *

There were things they both didn't speak of when the god began to stay the night. The times when Loki would wake up Tony with his cries of _'Father!_', or when Tony would wake up Loki by screaming as he drowned in a hot, dusty cave. Those times no one spoke of afterwards, only whispered assurances when the other woke up, gasping for air and eyes wet. It was a silent agreement between the two that it meant nothing, when, without either realizing it, it became everything.

* * *

Enjoy! Most of the credit for this one goes to TheDarkElement, she's an amazing beta, and came up with most of this. Thanks so much Element! Another chapter coming soon :)

P.S. If some of you read this immediately after I posted it, I've had to edit some things, so if you catch any mistakes, please, let me know! .


	6. Under My Skin

A few days later, Pepper had dragged Tony to the office to sign papers that had already been put on hold for far too long, and he was bored senseless. He knew he had let his duties go a bit after he became an Avenger, but the stack of papers on the desk was ridiculous. It felt like he had already signed twenty million (meaning five) of them, and he still had many more, to go. His mind was wandering all over the place, not the least of them Loki and the sex that they'd had last night. It hadn't been the usual hard, dirty fucking that it normally was. Loki had come to him with his face drawn, set with lines of pain and old memories showing in his eyes.

Tony got one look at him before the god was claiming his lips in a desperate kiss and then he took over, stripping the god (he had finally gotten the hang of all the buckles) and laying him back on the bed. Undressing quickly, he joined the god, caressing his cock gently before lowering himself so he could take him in his mouth. The cry Loki had given when he came had been tinged with something other than pleasure. Tony, thinking he should back off because of the look that lingered in Loki's eyes, had drawn away, only to have Loki draw him closer, palming Tony's rock hard erection and whispering "I would have you take your pleasure of me, Stark." and who was Tony to deny a god with a voice and plea like that?  
Tony had prepped Loki, then hesitated at the look in his eyes right before he entered him. Not knowing what had come over him, he decided to give the god as much pleasure as possible before he took it for himself. His efforts had left Loki well marked, and begging for release. Tony grabbed Loki's cock and before he knew it, the god was clenching around him, making Tony see stars right before he shouted and came himself.

That time it hadn't been the harsh pounding of flesh to flesh, but rather the slow and sensuous movements that left Loki open and vulnerable under him. Something had happened then, but Tony couldn't quite place his finger on it. Shrugging mentally, he recollected himself and got back to signing papers, bemoaning his dreary fate whenever Pepper was within earshot.

At the end of the day, he wasn't quite sure how he hadn't gone insane yet, but there were still a few papers to sign. Pepper walked in and took pity on him, telling him to take a break, and giving him a look that told him he had better be back in the time she allotted him or else heads would roll. He shuddered, nodded meekly and left, eager for a respite. He had just walked in the mens room when he felt himself grabbed and slammed against the door.

On the verge of freaking out, Tony's eyes flew wide open when lips were smashed against his, to see the god of mischief smirking at him. Tony shoved him away, gasping for breath and rubbing his chest absently with his heart pounding so hard it was beginning to ache slightly.

"What the fuck was that?!" He exclaimed, half angry and more than slightly puzzled over the god seeking him out so soon.

Loki purred and nibbled at his neck. Tony moaned, all too easily distracted. "I found myself bored and went to find you at your Tower, but when I couldn't, I asked your voice. It instructed me where to find you, and here I am. I did not think you would mind." He smirked.

"I should mind, gods, Pepper will kill me-" Tony was cut off when the god nipped rather savagely at his pulse point. That was going to leave a noticeable bruise later. With a groan he growled and canted his hips into the tricksters, taking a ruthless kind of pleasure at the breath that rushed out of Loki upon the contact.

"Taste your own medicine," He grinned.

"Stark, you try my patience," Loki growled. Tony merely smirked and nipped at the gods neck, grabbing his pants and fumbling slightly with the buckles.

"Stark," Loki moaned as Tony's hands made their way into his pants, "I would rather others did not observe what is likely going to happen in a few minutes."

Cursing his lack of resistance, Tony went to check that all the stalls were empty before growling when he bent over to check the last one and felt Loki grinding himself into Tony. He whirled and had Loki pressed against a wall before another two seconds had passed. With the gods eyes laughing at him, Tony took him lips with his own, nipping savagely before pillaging the mouth offered him.

He was in the midst of unbuckling his pants when the door flew open. Cursing his luck and thoughtlessness for not remembering to lock the door, Tony froze when he heard a familiar voice.

"Tony, I need to- dear god. What the bloody hell?!" Pepper exclaimed. There was a voice from the cellphone she was holding away from her ear, and she paused, shooting both Tony and Loki looks that kept them in their place, Tony trying to subtly zip his pants back up.

"Natasha, I'm going to have to call you back. Tony's got himself in a tangle in the bathroom. Yes, that's fairly literal," She replied, gaze raking over the two of them. "No, really, I couldn't bother you with the details, I know you too well... I like Tony more than that I'm afraid, so no such luck. Ok, sure, talk soon. Bye."

With that she ended the call and turned her fearsome gaze on Tony before slowly sliding it over to Loki. The look she gave their state of undress was slightly comical, but Tony made sure his expression was perfectly serious when she snapped her gaze back to him.

"Tony. What the fuck is this? Explain why he's back in town, and please... why the hell were you on the edge of fucking him in the bathroom. I'm most curious as to that one especially."

Tony winced. Pepper didn't curse like this unless she was really mad or stressed. "Er..." he began awkwardly. Loki stepped forward, appearance impeccable. Tony would glare if the situation weren't so serious.  
"Lady Pepper, I'm not here with any ill intent towards this world or it's occupants, including Stark. I merely found myself amused when I stumbled upon him, and things got out of hand. I'm sorry you had to see this, but I won't be stopping."

Tony shook his head, vaguely sure he should be irritated at Loki saying he was only amusing himself by playing this game, when he knew perfectly well that's what was happening. He still couldn't shake the feeling it gave him, but stepped forward to reassure Pepper nonetheless.

"Pep, do you really think S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't know he was here? They have eyes all over the place, and Loki's never really been especially discreet about his being in the Tower."  
Pepper rubbed her eyes wearily, and Tony pressed his case. "Please, Pep, I promise I'm being careful. He's the one who helped me a while ago."

Pepper's eyes flashed to Loki, surprised. Everyone had thought Tony was going to drink himself to the grave within the next year with the way he had been. Pepper herself had been devastated, feeling helpless because it was their break up that had spurred it. She stood there in deep thought for a few minutes, considering all the changes that she had seen in Tony the last few weeks.

Coming to a decision, she nodded sharply before walking up to Loki, going nose to nose with him and hissing "You harm him, I will end you, god or not. I will find some way to make your life miserable if you do anything to harm him, or the team. Don't think I wouldn't keep that promise."

Loki's eyes widened in surprise, it wasn't often a mortal threatened him. A woman at that, although he felt a new respect when he saw her eyes flashing, so protective of someone she loved. Tony chuckled, but stopped abruptly when Pepper turned her attention to him.

"And you! How could you be so stupid? Did you not forget he tried to take over the world we live in recently!? And here you are, having sex with him in a bathroom! Only you, Tony, only you." She sighed. "I'll keep your little secret for a while, although I might have to clear the air with Natasha, unless you want her haunting your every step to find out what had me so freaked out. Also, if I see or suspect anything is going wrong though, that's it. I will tell one of the Avengers so quickly, you won't have time to say arc reactor." She finished with a huff, and glared at them both. Tony briefly regretted adding this to her mental load, but shook it off.

Tony opened his mouth to protest, and thought better of it after imagining what it would be like to have Natasha stalking him.

"Thanks Pep. I would give you a raise, except I'm not your boss anymore." Tony said cheekily.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "I should give myself a raise for all I put up with," She muttered before shaking her head at them both and leaving the bathroom, leaving both men drained. Tony leaned against a wall and moaned into his hands, wondering how he had escaped that one. Actually, he hadn't escaped, he'd just delayed the inevitable by asking Pepper to keep it a secret. Whatever it was they had, it would be bad if anyone else discovered it.

He peeked to see the god looking just as contemplative as he was, if a bit more blown away by the force that was Pepper. Tony smirked. Whatever was between Loki and him, he had stood up to Pepper, and that earned him points in Tony's book. He slid over to where the god sat on the floor, nudging him. "Don't mess with her either. She's a half of the only family I've got, and I will kill to keep her safe."

The tone he said this in garnered him a look from the god, but Loki only eyed him carefully before nodding. "I can see why," he said thoughtfully. They left it at that, and libido killed, Loki left soon after.

Walking back to the office, Tony was not surprised to see Pepper back on the phone with Natasha. He also wasn't surprised to see that she was pacing back and forth. Pepper didn't pace unless she was under extreme stress. He sighed softly and stepped forward to try and soothe things over with her.

"No, he's back. No, don't tell the rest of the team, that's something he has to do on his own. Yes. Alright. Tell the rest of the team I said hello. Alright, bye Natasha."

Closing the call Pepper whirled around on Tony, who was still standing on the threshold of the door. "Tony! There you are! You need to finish signing these papers and then I need you to go." Her expression was wild, face flushed and eyes not quite focused on one thing for too long.

"Pep-" Tony began.

"No, Tony, just sign them. You know what, wait, take them with you. I just need you to leave. I need space to regroup and think." Turning around Pepper stalked off to her office, taking the stack of half signed papers with her leaving Tony standing there alone with nothing else to do but go home.

It was only once he was halfway there that he recalled just who she had been talking to. He almost crashed his car with a shouted curse, and was tempted to go back before remembering the state Pepper had been in. Muttering all the way home, he couldn't help the frisson of fear that crept down his back like a drop of sweat. Fear of what Natasha might do to him or Loki kept him antsy for the next few days until he had the misfortune to be in a dark corner when she found him.

"Oh shit," He said when he looked up from texting Loki one time and saw her standing in front of him. Loki had only recently gotten a cell phone, and Tony was constantly amazed at how adept he was at maneuvering around the technology already, despite Thor being... well, Thor, when it came to any modern devices.  
Natasha only smirked and walked forward, making Tony step backward until he ran up against a wall. His eyes widened in fear as his heart rate accelerated... he was screwed.

"As much as I would love to take you down, and that sonuvabitch with you for what you're doing, especially with how worried Pepper is over it, I gave my word that I wouldn't. However, I will only be doing my _job_ if I find he's put one foot out of place." She hissed. Tony nodded dumbly. Really, he should say something, but he rather liked living in a world without pain, and he knew she could inflict a lot of it without anyone ever knowing better.

Natasha stepped up until she was breathing on his neck, and Tony gulped audibly as he felt something sharp press up against his neck. "I don't make these threats lightly, Tony." She purred. "Harm anyone on the team, harm anyone at all, and I will take you both down. Behave, and I leave you alone. Don't fuck where I can see or hear you, because I will not be held responsible for my actions if it comes to that. If this _thing _ever comes out, don't say I didn't warn you. Because I'm telling you it won't be good if anyone else finds out. I know many ways to make you hurt Tony, and as immortal as he might be, a god can still bleed."

Tony felt his blood run cold at that. A hand flashed up to clasp the knife at his throat and he growled, faintly surprised at himself.

"You hurt him without reason and I will not be the person you thought you knew. The reason I like him so much is because we're so alike. Except I chose to be good, and he, in all his misguided glory, was shoved onto the broken path. Think Natasha. It wouldn't have taken much to tip me over the edge after Afghanistan. You should know this by now. One little rejection would be all it took. For him.. and for me. Read up on your Norse mythology, and perhaps spare him a little sympathy, taught to hate the very thing he is."  
Tony snarled this and stepped back, breathing harshly. His heart pounded in his ears, and he turned away with a grimace. Natasha was silent, and he walked away, his emotions battered and bruised as he slowly came to realize just how much Loki had gotten under his skin. Under his skin, under his barriers, walking straight into all that made Tony vulnerable emotionally.  
With a defeated sigh, he took the elevator to his suite, still massaging his chest and wondering why it hurt so much. Grunting as he fell onto his bed, his eyes fluttered shut in slumber.

A few hours later, the bed dipped under a familiar weight, and Tony, still unconscious, threw an arm over the man laying next to him. Loki resisted at first, before succumbing and allowing himself to snuggle closer. Both slept soundly without waking up once that night.

* * *

Hey there everyone! So sorry for the late update, had an earlier one planned, but I wasn't all the way happy with how this chapter went towards the end. I've also had some insane inspiration for other stories after watching Avengers for the third time XD Have a oneshot series planned(inspired by the FrostIron headcanon on Tumblr, if any of you follow that ^^), so keep a look out for those to make an appearance very soon!

Edit: Readers, I did edit a bit to give Pepper a reason for telling Natasha after saying she wouldn't spill their secret. Really, can you imagine Natasha leaving it alone after hearing Pepper freak out like that? ;) Sorry for the confusion.

Anyways! Reviews are, as always, appreciated in any way, shape or form! Thanks for reading!


	7. Dark Doubts and Unusual Assurances

Obviously I own nothing. Except my imagination, which is running wild with this story ^^

* * *

Finding himself bored and taking a day off from his other pursuits, Loki decided to pop into Tony Stark's living room, invisible of course. He discovered the red haired assassin and the man they called Captain sitting at the table, with the latter ranting about something or another. Loki was about to teleport out before he heard Tony's name. He paused and listened for a few minutes, eyebrows lifting before he transferred himself to the lab where they had mentioned him being in.

He found himself in the corner of the lab, Tony unaware of him being there as he was still invisible. Glass shattered, and there was a curse.

"Dummy, don't you _dare_ move to clean that up, or I swear I'm taking you apart and donating you to some homeless waif who doesn't know shit about what to do with your parts." Tony hissed. Loki watched as the machine whirred, but didn't move, while Tony stalked around looking for something else to throw. There was a bottle of unopened whiskey on his desk, Loki noted.

Another few objects flew through the air and shattered, one hitting the wall near Loki. Eyeing the destruction with distaste, Loki made himself visible and waited.

"Steve's just an ignorant fucker anyways, what the hell does he know about running a business?! We're not all goody two shoes, to fall in line with a 'Yes sir' at the ready. This is all such stupid shit." Tony snarled, pacing like a caged tiger.

"I believe I have experience in others making your business theirs... it generally means they care." Loki put in quietly.

Tony stopped, a curse escaping his lips. "Jesus, don't you know better than to do that to me?" the billionaire asked, turning around with a hand on his chest. Loki saw that it was rubbing absently, as if there was a persistent ache that was so familiar it had been forgotten.

"If you do not care for company, I will leave." The god said after a pause. Tony sighed and sat down, waving a hand.

"No, no, stay if you want to. Gives me an excuse to avoid the others." He muttered.

Loki paused, then sat down as well. Feeling awkward without knowing why, he ventured out with "How is the Lady Potts?"

Tony barked a laugh. "You mean Pepper? She's fine. Been giving me these looks like none other, but then again she does that a lot. I've been trying to stay in her good graces and keeping up on company business ever since that incident, so she says if nothing else it's making me more responsible."

"Was that the issue with the Captain?" The trickster prodded at the problem, curious.

"It was some of the old 'Without the suit, who are you really?' shit." Tony growled.

"Who are you without the suit?" Loki asked, curious as to the answer he would get.

The bitter smile the inventor turned on him sparked an uncomfortable feeling in Loki, having felt it on his lips more than once.

"I'm nothing without the suit," Tony said softly, eyes going dark with self damnation. Obviously the words he'd had with the Captain had gone deeper than the others might've realized. Loki felt a twisting in his gut at the expression, one he'd also worn.

"Come now, I've heard you boasting more than once about being a billionaire, philanthropist and playboy, haven't I?" Loki said coolly, not wanting it to seem like he was comforting the man.

Tony snorted. "I've inherited everything I have. The money, the power, the fame... perhaps Steve has a point sometimes. I'm not exactly citizen of the year if I can't invent stuff, or be Iron Man. The suit has become my life."

"Don't let it do that," Loki said sharply.

Tony looked up, surprised. "Don't let it do what?" he asked.

"Let it become what you live for. It isn't alive, it will not give anything back." Loki said, eyes sharp.

"Yeah, it's dependable like that. I don't disappoint it, there's no emotional shit from it..." Tony laughed with an underlying edge. Loki rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Pepper saw it, you know. She saw that I was becoming a part of it, I wasn't able to keep Tony Stark and Iron Man separate identities... she broke it off. Told me to find myself." The billionaire said quietly, somberly.

"And have you?" The god asked, curious and wanting to learn more about this man who kept surprising him, cracking all his defenses.

"I don't know yet. I haven't found anything worth it. I thought perhaps having the Avengers living here would help, but while they're all great, there's nothing deeper. If I can't stop the downward spiral, I wonder what will happen," Tony mused, looking at the suit stationed at the far corner of the lab. He suddenly laughed and shook his head.

"You know, at times like this I would drink myself senseless to keep all the deep thoughts and emotional garbage locked away where they didn't matter. Now, in the past week I've done more deep thinking than what I'm sure is healthy." This was said with amusement, although bitterness was laying underneath, poisoning it.

The trickster shifted. He had found a broken shell of a man and made him act normal. Taken away the vices that took away the pain. What would happen now that the darkness was uncovered and able to eat away at the mans soul?

Loki had been like this himself, once. The darkness had gnawed on him continually until his mind shattered when he fell from the Bifrost. What ensued had been partly because of the darkness, the madness that consumed him, and part was a twisted thought of it he could just prove himself...

Odin had seen it, and ripped the shadows from him. It hadn't been that easy, but after several months Loki was declared once again an accepted member of the royal family. The sentence passed down on him after the shadows had been torn away had been relatively lax. Protect and serve what you once sought to destroy.

"Remember who you were before you had the suit." Loki said abruptly. His eyes flickered to the light glowing in Tony's chest, always having associated it with the suit before he came across the mortal without it and saw it was attached in his chest.

Tony looked up, eyes glinting. "I wasn't worth a lot before the suit. Only thing I was good for was inventing weapons, and that left me with shards in my chest, trying to kill me. This baby," he tapped the light, "It keeps me alive as long as I have it in my chest and it's running. It reminds me of all the death I caused before I..." his expression faltered and he paused suddenly before continuing. "Before I was kidnapped and almost died." This last part was with him staring Loki in the eyes, challenging him to comment on it. Loki stayed silent, seeing the vulnerability that was being laid before him for what it was and simply curious as to the tale behind it.

"No, thank you, I won't be finding myself by going back to that person. Even I know that I'm better now than I was then. If I become Iron Man, how is that a bad thing when the alternative is a Tony Stark drunk on power, money, and loose women? At least I can do some good, instead of killing innocent people with what I make, I can protect them." Tony ground out.

Loki stilled, watching the mortal with a cat like intensity at the information. Finally he stood up and strode over to Tony before leaning down. "You still seem to be in quandary as to who you are. You are Tony Stark. You care about all the innocents you killed, as well as the ones you can protect. You are the one who guards this world as Iron Man, and fears letting down those he loves. Your father might not have shown his love, but it was there. I never knew my actual father, and then I killed him. Give some thought to what you hold dear, and as long as the people you care for believe in you, redemption is in there somewhere for you. Don't think about what will happen down that path. Think about those who wouldn't see you gone."

The speech was delivered with Loki staring Tony fiercely in the eyes. The words were breathed against his lips, and when he stopped, Tony kissed him. The god attempted to resist, weakly pushing at Tony before succumbing and leaning into it. Hands fumbled at clothing, teeth nipped and tongues soothed.

This time it was fierce, fueled by passion that burned hotter with every touch. Loki took Tony against the table, pounding into him with a blinding need that drove him up higher and higher until Tony clenched around him with a cry, Loki finding his release seconds later with Tony's name silent on his lips. They both slumped over the table, breathing harshly. Neither spoke in the aftermath, the blood rushing hot through their veins, with emotions running high and confusing them both.

* * *

Oh my goodness, I was writing this and Highway to Hell came on. This song is all Tony to me, so I instantly turned it up XD (My playlist was then all AC/DC so I could continue the inspiration it gave me :D)

Guys, we're almost to the good part, bear with me! -throws followers life preservers- And hopefully you like it ^^; Much love everyone who's been so patient and has followed/favorited/reviewed this story! Can't express my appreciation enough!


	8. Confronting the Heart

I own nothing, much as I wish I did, and I'd just like to say that I don't hold back, so again, this story is M for reasons. Read at your own risk.

* * *

It had been a long day. The team was scattered across the city, unable to respond to a call ot, so when it came in, there was only one option.

Tony cursed as one of the many arms from the villain below him deflected his shot, then threw a lamp post at him, dodging another one of Tony's shots quickly. "Why the fuck would you throw a lamp post at anyone? I'm sure there's someone out there you just pissed off because they worked hard to install that so people could see where they were going. It's always the insignificant ones that you never see coming until they're at your throat."

He continued his rant as he fired shot after shot at the rampaging villain who was currently holding Tony at bay despite not being particularly well armed. Tony snickered at his own joke, still firing rapidly in the hopes of overwhelming the multiple arms swinging around from the back of the contraption strapped to Doc Oc's back.

"Motherfucking shit, how the hell does that guy control those things?" He fumed as three of them came at him all at once. He dropped, leaving them to tangle each other up and flail around in confusion while the good Doctor shrieked with rage. Stopping himself a few feet from the ground, and ignoring cautionary messages from JARVIS about the power in his suit being down to a dangerous level, Tony glared at the man who was becoming a very big annoyance.

"Shut it Jarvis, I've got to finish this guy. We can hold out for that long." He ignored the voice in the back of his head telling him to stop being stupid. It sounded suspiciously like Loki, where in the past it had always been Pepper. Strange. He dodged another attack of the arms, chortling at himself, when suddenly he thought he saw a flash of green on a building a block down.

"JARVIS, increase zoom to 150% on that building over there. Yup, that one. Who is that?" He queried, even if he already knew.

"Facial recognition identifies it to be one Loki Laufeyson, sir. Also, your suit is down to 5% power. At this point you have 10 minutes, if that, before your power fails, and you drop, Mr. Stark." The AI's voice was, as ever, polite with a distinguished air. Tony snorted in disgust, wondering why the hell he had thought a british accent would be neat when he installed it, before he zig zagged down the block towards Loki, intending to ask him why he was there just watching him.

He had nearly reached the building where the god was camping out on when Doc Oc's voice boomed out. Paying it almost no attention because of the way the man had ranted and raged on meaningless subjects in the last five minutes. Tony focused on Loki's face in his viewfinder, and so watched as the god's face twisted with horror, mouth opening in a silent warning before something knocked Tony out of the sky, making the suit going dark on the inside.  
"JARVIS!" He screamed, trying desperately to boot his suit back up before he hit the pavement. Everything felt like it slowed down around him, even as he watched the windows of the building next to him flash by. He braced himself for impact, and hit the ground hard, breaking what felt like every bone in his body and rattling his brain around in his head. He saw something move through the eye slits on his suit with a fuzzy kind of clarity before everything went black.

* * *

_**Minutes earlier...**_

Loki had been invisible inside Tony's room, waiting for him to arrive so he could surprise him when he heard one of the others come back. Wondering if they knew anything about Tony's whereabouts, he silently opened the door and went to the living room, watching as Dr. Banner and Rogers stepped out of the elevator, conversing casually. Loki turned to go before hearing Tony's name mentioned.

"...What's Fury got Tony doing now?" The Captain asked.

"Oh, you know, just sent him out to kick Doctor Oc's ego down a few notches," Dr. Banner said drily.

"Alone?!"

Dr. Banner patted the other man on the shoulder. "Relax, that kid with the red suit... Spider-man I think his name was, takes care of this guy every other week, I have no doubt Tony could handle him with an arm tied behind his back. He's probably kicked the guys ass and gone off for some shawarma."

The Captain shook his head and sighed, but his expression lightened and he smiled. "That would be just like him."

The two chuckled and moved away, but Loki was curious to see exactly who Tony was fighting, and why it should be taking this long. Closing his eyes, he appeared on a rooftop downtown, spotting the fighting still a ways off, and teleporting again to a building not very far from the action at all.

Tony was playing with his food again, he mused as he watched the fight. Suddenly the man of iron stilled in mid-air, and Loki smirked. He had been discovered.

He shook his head as his lover flew towards him in a zigzag pattern to avoid the multiple arms trying to snatch him out of midair. Loki opened his mouth, about to call out a comment on Tony(_And since when had the mortal become Tony, instead of Stark?_) playing with his food again, when out of nowhere he spied a pair of the arms rushing towards the inventors vulnerable back.

He choked when he tried to call out a warning and watched in horror as the arms struck Tony, the suit going dark and rushing to meet the ground at an alarming speed. Loki was helpless to act before the ground met Tony's suit with a particularly horrifying crunch.

Loki teleported to his side immediately, paying no mind to the villain attached to the arms as he stalked closer.

"Tony!" He called frantically, fingers searching the armor for any way, any way at all to take it off. He found release buttons on the side of his helmet, finding the man inside barely breathing, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He snarled in fury at his helplessness, then was distracted by a cold, slightly nasally voice questioning his right to be there.

He whirled, a dagger of ice forming in his fist, about to scream at them that he had every right. Ignoring the voice in his head that had been questioning the concern he felt for the mortal, and questioned even louder what right he had to be at his side when his teammates should be there, Loki glanced back down and let the ice dagger melt back into nothing. Stark wouldn't survive that long, and Loki wasn't about to let him die, whether or not he had the right. He would work out his concern for the mortal later, not noticing that he was struggling to breathe through the crack in his chest from fear.

The man with the nasally voice and arms attached to his back prodded him with one and Loki stilled. The animal inside of him snarled in fury and leapt to retaliate for his lovers injury and personal prejudice against the man for daring to question him. His magic sung in the air for a brief moment, making the man look at him uneasily, right before he blasted him back a block where he landed and remained motionless. Satisfied that the man had been taken care of, Loki turned around to face the broken mortal laying motionless behind him. Mouth twisting with worry, the anger drained away just as quickly as it had come.

Using his magic, he found the subtle markings of the release buttons and had the suit off in a matter of minutes. The suit was in terrible shape, metal breaking, bending and digging new gouges into Tony so that he was soaked in blood, turning terribly pale and gasping small, wheezing breaths, blood rattling in his lungs. The reactor light itself was looking rather weak from Loki's point of view. Knowing that it was crucial to Tony's survival, Loki held out a hand, getting a feel for the power of the thing before 'allying' himself with it and flooding the piece of technology with a bit of magic.

Once satisfied that it would last awhile, he went to work to stop Tony from dying. Closing his eyes, Loki reached for the rivers of power that had always lurked at the edges of his consciousness. Receiving a flood of it in return, he put one hand directly over Tony's chest, and the other over his abdomen, channeling that power to heal the mortal.. at least enough so that he wouldn't die.

"You will not die on me. Don't you dare, Tony." He whispered over and over until he had healed the injuries that would've killed the man. Loki winced as he saw the bone sticking out of Tony's leg, applying a gentle hand to push it where it belonged, along with a brush of magic to keep it there, slightly more whole, but still broken.

Loki brushed the man's bloody cheek with a slightly trembling hand. The healing had taken a lot out of him, but the rush of emotions upon seeing his sometimes lover injured were more at fault, he thought. Cleaning Tony up, and getting him out of the downward spiral he had been in had been fine. He had even come to respect the man for dealing with what he had been through throughout his life and still able to move around in society without going mad.

Sleeping with him had been unexpected, but the passion the man both inspired in and returned to him shocked the god. He hadn't experienced anything like it in centuries. Nonetheless, he had thought to amuse himself for awhile with it, enjoying it while it lasted. However, after they'd started up their affair, Tony didn't fall asleep immediately, or cast him away in disgust like all his other conquests, leaving him free to slip away. Tony had pushed and pulled, slipping under his guard, making him laugh and suddenly turning fierce when Loki had quietly declared he was a monster because of his heritage.

/-/

_"You are not a monster, Loki Lyesmith. No more than I am. Appearances are nothing to me, especially when it comes to you. This world has been through several issues on that particular subject, but no matter what is on the outside, who you are inside determines whether you're a monster or not." He paused in his tirade, stiffening and turning away before speaking softly. Loki watched him curiously, itching to trace the line of his spine down his back._

_"I used to believe I was a god on Earth, able to provide weapons for those who fought for peace. Instead I was harming innocents, killing villages full of children. The people who wanted me to build a weapon in Afghanistan had been paid by someone I trusted and respected to kill me, though, at that time I didn't know it." Tony gritted this out, seeming not to be aware of the fact that he was shaking - the finest tremor moving through his body._

_Loki watched as Tony's muscles twitched, barely quivering. "What happened?" He asked softly. _

_"I created my first reactor and suit. The suit was huge, ugly, and not worth a damn, but it got the job done. I blew that place to the heavens, lost a dear friend, and had enough power to blast myself out of there. Then that power failed, and I fell back down to the desert, where I was eventually rescued. But in those few moments of flight, I discovered something else I could do good with."_

_Tony turned back around abruptly, laughing harshly. "After I got back home, I remodeled and fine tuned the suit, was betrayed by my mentor, and ended up killing him. I also ended up pissed off a few important political people, creating a new element because my reactor was poisoning me, killed a crazy Russian with reactor powered whips and I'm still alive. All because I created that suit. If that isn't crazy, I don't know what is."_

_Loki gazed at Tony, seeing him in a completely different light. For a mortal, he was shockingly sane for being so broken. He absentmindedly reached over and tugged the man closer, leaning forward so their foreheads touched._

_"You're asking the god of mischief if that's crazy." He pointed out dryly. Tony laughed._

_"I guess perhaps in your world that's not so crazy, now is it."_

_Loki smiled. "I've had centuries of crazy, Stark. This is different from all the rest, but still nothing unusual."_

_He watched as the man closed his eyes, feeling him relax through the closeness of their bodies. He heard him mumble something along the lines of "No wonder you're so fragile." before his breathing evened out and his body relaxed into sleep. Loki shook his head and found himself content to stay in bed next to the mortal until he, too, relaxed into slumber._

_**/-/**_

Loki shook himself out of his reverie as shouts sounded, people milling around the destruction, piling out of buildings and staring curiously at him hunched over the body of Iron Man. Before they had a chance to recognize him, he picked Tony up without bothering to grab his discarded suit and teleported them to his living room.

At first glance he thought it was empty, until the Captain walked from around the corner, curious at the noise he had heard while leaving. Bruce had gone downstairs to his lab, and everyone else was gone. It was only the Captain - and Loki. They stared at each other for a few minutes. Before the Captain could ask anything, Loki beat him to it.

"Do not think this means anything. The man with the mechanical arms was an annoyance. You should have sent out back up. It was foolishly done of you to let the Man of Iron fight alone like that." Spitting that out, Loki vanished just as the Cap opened his mouth to ask him why. With a stricken glance at the bloody man lying in a heap on the couch, Steve yelled down the hallway that they needed Bruce immediately.

* * *

Hey all! I know, I promised this update sooner, my apologies for that ^^; Throwing a special shoutout to xXTwistedPrincessXx on being our 100th follower! Thank you so much! Sometimes I still have trouble believing what a great response this story has gotten, and I have only you readers to thank for that, so a huge thank you too every single one of you who has reviewed, favorited and followed this story! :D Or even anyone who just reads it ^^

I have midterms Monday, but hopefully sometime after Wednesday I'll be able to update. Have a great weekend all!


	9. Of Lovers and Liars

After Tony was released from the hospital he was grilled by Fury, but they were soon interrupted by Steve, who took one look at Tony and sent him to bed. Tony, pale and sweating from the pain of his injuries and the interview so soon after nodded gratefully and went to his room with very little argument. That action alone drew curious looks from Fury and Steve both before Steve rounded on Fury.

"With all respect sir, Tony needs his rest. I know you weren't thinking with a clear head when you sent him out there alone. We have no idea what could have caused Loki to defend Tony and bring him back to the tower." He said in a slightly reprimanding tone.

"I had assumed Stark could handle his own shit with a villain like that. The man did this just to be a pain in the ass, I'm sure of it." Fury finished talking and sent a glare at the door which Tony had made his escape from.

Steve looked at Fury after he had finished his tirade and wasn't sure whether to laugh or glare. "Alright. Well then, I would appreciate it, no matter what happens, if you always sent out a second team member as back up. I'll tell the rest of them as well. They deserve to know." With a nod to Fury, Steve turned and walked out of the room where Fury and Tony had been interviewing, going back to the Tower.

Loki smirked in the shadows. A silent bravo to the Captain he thought to himself before vanishing. Reappearing in Stark's suite, still invisible, he saw the empty bed and waited for the door to open. It did, and the man he was waiting for stumbled through, barely managing to close the door before stumbling to the bed with a pained grunt. Loki waited a few seconds then stepped forward to see what he was doing. Stark was fast asleep, face still slightly etched with pain, but otherwise relaxed. Loki stared down at him for a few seconds with confusion evident in his eyes before disappearing again.

For the next few days, Nick Fury was in a terrible temper, not being able to find anything he wanted where he had last seen it or where he had last set it down.

"Who the fucking hell keeps touching and moving my things?!" He roared when he couldn't find a terribly important official document. Laughter echoed through the room, and then it was gone. Fury shooked his head and muttered something about hiring a babysitter before stalking off.

* * *

It wasn't long after Tony had been injured that Loki began to contemplate his feelings for the man. The horror he had felt upon seeing Tony so grievously injured had given him plenty of reason to realize everything wasn't as it had been. He briefly gave thought to ending their affair, then shrugged that thought off, not being able to bear thinking about letting go of that anchor that kept him from falling off the edge sometimes. He decided to give it time and see how Tony acted around him.  
His first visit after glimpsing him when he got back from the hospital and Fury's interview was brief. He appeared silently, invisible, at Tony's bedside one night. Tony was asleep, breathing hitching every so often. Loki watched as he rolled, breath expelling rapidly in a pained grunt before he sat up with a gasp. The god stood silently as Stark glanced around in confusion before slumping back on the bed, asleep within seconds.  
Walking to the other side of the bed, the one that he usually claimed(and refused to call his), Loki lay down with a sigh, eyes still trained on the man beside him when he made himself visible. Tony didn't move at the weight that moved the bed, but once Loki lay down, he found himself dragged closer, until Stark was spooning him from behind.  
Loki froze, body still, until Tony gave a snore, still asleep and oblivious to what he had done. He relaxed oh so slowly, before grabbing the hand wrapped around his waist and closing his eyes. Green magic trickled through their linked hands for a few minutes until Loki's eyes flew open with a gasp and the green flow stopped. He lay shaking for a few seconds before Tony's arm tightened around him.  
It was then that Loki realized it was more than just the release of sex for him when it came to the funny relationship between him and Stark. He also acknowledged that it had been that way for a couple weeks, from shortly before Stark got injured, and that he had refused to let his consciousness tell him the truth. He was willing to drain himself continually to aid this mortal, and in all his years of liaisons, that level of attachment rarely, if ever, happened. Perhaps he would extend himself if asked, but never without expecting thanks or acknowledgement, and while he didn't doubt Stark would connect the dots when he healed faster than normal, Loki did it privately, when the man didn't have a chance to thank him. He sighed, slightly disgusted with himself for not seeing it sooner before shifting to get comfortable for a few hours.

Tony woke up with a dry mouth, wondering vaguely why he remembered cuddling with someone when he knew no one had been in his bed. He stopped short as he thought of Loki. Perhaps... nah. What would the god be doing visiting him when he wasn't available to have sex?  
The thought gave Tony pause. Part of Tony's excellent avoidance of emotional connection was knowing exactly when to break it off, by keeping in tune with his emotions. This time though, Loki had snuck under his defenses. He didn't like at all the thought of having to end whatever it was they had. The god meant much more to Tony then he should, and Tony felt an odd calmness as he acknowledged that fact to himself.

/*/*/*/*/*/

* * *

Three days later, Loki dropped in during the day, catching Tony just as he was about to step out of the shower. Loki watched as he did so, heart clenching at the way he moved so gingerly, as well as the obvious evidence of his many injuries. Tony glanced up and caught sight of him, stopping in his tracks.

"Long time no see," Tony drawled to cover his shock and nervousness. The team had told him that Loki had brought him back, and Tony hadn't known what to think of that. Loki only nodded to his comment before stepping forward and tracing the bruising over his ribs. He remembered healing at least three of them. Tony hissed in pain, and Loki looked up.

"They are still so tender?" He asked.

Tony nodded with a wince. "Yeah, tends to make doing anything that involves my stomach muscles a pain to deal with."

Loki frowned and laid a gentle hand over Tony's stomach, green pooling in his hand before sinking into Tony's skin. Watching with wide eyes, Tony didn't have words to describe the feeling, only that he was beyond freaked out by it. There was a hot than icy sensation and he gasped for breath.

Loki stumbled back, slightly paler than he had been when he came. Tony narrowed his eyes at him in concern, reaching out a hand to steady the god. "Don't do that." he said abruptly.

Loki's gaze flew to him. "Don't heal you? Whyever not?"

Tony scowled, not liking the reason that came to mind. "I didn't think you cared that much, that's all," he said stubbornly.

Loki smirked at him, expression clearing. "Ah. I do not allow the concerns of others to dictate what I do, Tony Stark. You would be well advised to get used to that. I will not stop healing you, even if it does exhaust me."

Tony stared at him in amazement. Had he just heard... no... Loki wasn't trying to tell him he cared. Was he? The question went unresolved as Loki looked down past his stomach, and Tony remembered that he hadn't grabbed a towel. The god smirked, but only followed Tony out of the bathroom as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

"So, what brings you here again? To my eternal regret, I'm not quite up to our usual entertainment, but if you give me a few weeks, I'm sure I can make it up to you." Tony drawled.

Loki shook his head, not quite sure why he had come, just suddenly deciding to see how the mortal was faring after his injuries.

"Do not be concerned, that was not my reason for coming," He said coolly.

"So what was it? Oh, and the team told me how you brought me back after I was knocked out. There's been clips of it, and I didn't exactly land gently. I should have died." Tony finally said bluntly, carefully watching Loki.

"Yes, you would've, with how careless you were being." Loki hissed, eyes suddenly alight with anger at the memory, the rush of emotion he had to struggle to suppress. He felt raw, his mental state unbalanced, liable to explode with the slightest provocation.

"Yeah, I know, that was stupid of me," Tony winced, opening his mouth to continue but not before Loki erupted, turning around from where he had been pacing and spitting verbal daggers at him.

"No! It was beyond stupid of you. You should have more care for your actions. Even with that suit, you are mortal and terribly fragile. Think about the others who don't want anything to happen to you anymore than you wouldn't like to see them injured. Do they not matter?" There was an unspoken,_ 'Do I not matter?'_ in Loki's question.

Tony glanced up sharply at that. "Of course they matter!" He snarled. "The people that surround me are everything. They've pulled me back from the darkest voids of my mind, they put up with my shit, why would you think that they don't matter to me?." _'Why do you think you don't matter to me?'_ was strongly implied, woven in between the lines. Tony turned away as he said it, voice softening and trailing off towards the end. Loki looked at him, his mortal's shoulders were hunched as if bracing against an onslaught of emotions. He sighed softly and walked forward, touching Tony's shoulder lightly, wincing to himself when he caught the slightest flinch from the other man. Tony quickly turned around, almost seamlessly taking a step back while he did so, and throwing a big smile at Loki.

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Loki cut him off again. "Don't." he said abruptly.

"Don't what?" Tony inquired with a touch of confusion.

"Don't throw up a wall between us. Don't start to pretend that everything is fine. Don't lie to the father of lies. It's often impossible when the liar can see what you write in between the lines."

Tony stood still for a moment, his mouth twisting in a slight grimace and his eyes flashing with too many emotions. A vulnerable expression flickered over his face, so quick Loki could barely catch it before it was gone, and then Tony was turning away from him. Loki knew that Tony was trying to walk away from the intensity of the emotions he was experiencing. That he was trying to avoid hanging himself on them, and hurting the people that he held close to himself. It was a side he rarely left exposed, but anyone, even Tony Stark, can have a chink in their armor.

"Don't turn from me Stark, not after everything I've done for you." Loki growled softly.

"Why shouldn't I? Give me one reason? One reason not to go out and try to get as wasted as I can, even with your spell on me?" Tony bit out angrily.

Loki stilled even further, his body bearing a likeness to a statue before taking deliberate steps toward the mortal who had captured his attention, and now held his affection. "You can't go out because I need you to stay here, with the people who matter to you. With your team."

"With you?" Tony inquired with a small smile, speaking the words that almost leapt out of Loki's mouth before he restrained himself, not wanting to assume anything.

"You assume much, that I would need _you_. I recall things a bit differently, namely you needing me."

Tony just looked at him, and unbidden, Loki's heart jerked as he saw something go dim in the mortals eyes. He cursed quietly in old Norse before sighing heavily.

"Yes, I need you." He muttered, quick and quiet. Loki looked at Tony, straight in the eyes, letting the other man know that even though he was a liar at heart, what he was saying now wasn't a lie. Tony kept him balanced, stopped him from falling prey to the many dangers of his own mind that would drive him over the edge, with no way back.

Tony's eyes softened as they stared at each other. "Fuck," he muttered softly, but then he chuckled. Loki watched him with sharp eyes, noting the defeated slump of his shoulders, and the exhaustion lining his face.

"You need your rest." He said quietly. "Your body can only take so much of my aid before it must do the rest of the healing on its own."

Tony stared at him curiously, mind processing this information. "How bad was it?" He asked softly. Loki stiffened.

"How bad was what?" He asked with a dark look towards Tony. Tony ignored it, per usual.

"How long did I have without you there when I fell?" Tony pushed, invoking the rush of memories once again. Loki gritted his teeth.

"Minutes. You had minutes to live if I hadn't been there. I will not have you die on me Stark. Remember this the next time you take a stupid risk in that suit of yours, because if I must, I will not hesitate to appear in front of your comrades to bring you back from the dead just so I can send you back to Helheim for your carelessness."

Tony's eyes widened at that. "Oh." He muttered dumbly, blown away at the fierceness he saw in the gods eyes.

Loki sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes, reminded of how exhausting healing was suddenly. "Get some sleep Tony, before I make you."

"Make me how?" Tony quipped.

"With a damn sleeping spell, that's how!" Loki snapped.

"Oh. Too bad." Tony sighed.

Loki only growled and began to mutter a teleportation spell before he was stopped by Tony.

"Wait a minute. Stay here. With me. You look as tired as I feel, and I'm guessing that's not the half of it."

Loki gazed at the mortal, his heart still beating rather unsteadily from the revelation that the feelings the man evoked in him weren't a hopeless pit of damnation, another tool for someone to use against him. Instead the man seemingly returned them, and invited him to share his bed without Loki needing to ask.

With a small nod of acquiescence, he took a few steps to the bed and collapsed into it before rolling over and watching as Tony shuffled over. He was reminded of the extent of his mortals injuries that had yet to heal, and growled at his helplessness.

Tony shot him an amused look. "Relax. This is normal mortal speed, I'm used to it."  
"Don't bother me with such reassurances, it's not as if I were concerned on your behalf." Loki grumbled, turning away as Tony fell into the bed with a grunt.

Tony just smirked at his back and threw an arm over to wrap around his midsection and tug him closer.

"Tony!" Loki growled in protest.

"Oh, go to sleep Reindeer Games." Tony muttered into his shoulder blades. Loki thought about protesting the name, but sleep was calling him, and he couldn't find it in himself to resist. He scooted back closer to Tony and closed his eyes with a soft sigh.

* * *

Hello there my lovely readers! So sorry for the late update! ^^; Midterms are past, but now I have a boatload of schoolwork to catch up on, as well as the fact that I have a gap to fill in the story that needs to be written, unlike most of the other chapters, which have already been written, so bear with me these next few weeks as I attempt to hold as regular a posting schedule as possible. Also. My beta is back! Thank you TheDarkElement for helping out ^^

More to come as soon as I can manage it! Started feeling sick recently, so in between college and madly trying to drive off the germs, I'll see what I can do XD


	10. Definition of Possession

This chapter is M for a reason. As in... M. Capital. Period. Just making sure you know what you're getting into ;)

* * *

Later, when Loki started to hang out with Tony just to be by his side after the accident, the understanding between them was a silent acknowledgement that it wasn't about the sex any more. It was the sense of understanding that they each gave the other, the way the silence dragged on and on, yet was still comfortable as Tony worked in his lab and Loki just watched or entertained himself for hours on end, content to be in his company.

At one point Tony realized what had happened, after he had shocked himself when he refused an invitation from a girl at a bar that he normally would've taken to bed without hesitating.

"What is this... thing we have?" He ventured out one afternoon while he was working in the lab, with Loki sitting on a bench reading. The god looked up.

"Hm? What thing?" His voice was puzzled.

"This. You and me, the sex, and now it's like this, and I don't know how to define it." Tony blabbered, waving his finger between the two of them.

"Does it need definition?" Loki asked quietly.

"I need it to have definition. I don't know what's going on. What do I tell the person who asks me to bring them home from the bar?" Tony ranted, missing the way Loki's mouth tightened upon hearing his words.

"I don't know, what did you tell them?" Loki questioned smoothly, a coldness entering his voice. Tony glanced at him and stopped his pacing.

"I... I told them I couldn't." Tony faltered, ears tinged red. Alarms were going off in his head, some about how he shouldn't have opened his mouth, and most of them to please not anger the Norse god of mischief. The latter was from a voice that sounded just like Pepper.

"Why'd you do that?" Tony could tell the trickster was enjoying this far too much, but didn't want to say something that would get him in trouble. There were far too many holes to fall into with this conversation, and he didn't like it.

"Because... I don't know why! It's why I'm asking you, so if someone asks I can either tell them I'm in a relationship, or to come on over, because I hadn't scheduled a fuck with the god of mischief that night!"

Tony gulped at the expression that entered Loki's eyes. The god swung his legs off the bench and sauntered over to the suddenly silent man eyeing him nervously, Loki's face shadowed and coldly regal.

"Is this a relationship, Tony? I won't ask for it to become one. But what you say now changes what happens after this."

Tony felt a cold sweat break out all over. He couldn't leave. The god wouldn't just leave, would he? Except he would. What was holding him here anyways?

"Would our 'relationship' be exclusive?" He blurted out.

Loki smirked at him. "Only if you keep me satisfied," He purred. "I do not wander if I am committed, Tony." He said as an afterthought, quieter and dead serious.

Tony picked up the gods hand, staring at it as if his life depended on it. "I aim to please," he said quietly.

"Then if you want, you can tell the next person who wants to take you home that you are in an exclusive relationship. Or chance me ripping their guts out and strangling them with their own body parts." Loki said the last part with a remarkably clear face. Tony's head whipped up and he stared at him, before seeing the glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Ha! Don't joke like that." He said, heart beating just _slightly_ faster for the possessiveness he heard in the gods voice.

"I do not joke, Tony. You would do well to remember this if you truly want to call this a relationship." Loki purred with a dark underlying tone, stepping closer and closer until he was flush with Tony's body. Tony's breathing hitched.

"I... I..." This was stepping on thin ice... He moaned, losing his train of thought. Shit, he was supposed to say something, wasn't he? Loki's hands were wandering up and down his body, squeezing and kneading and pinching- "Fuck, Loki, can't concentrate!" He gasped.

"What will it be Tony? Is this another one of your illicit affairs? Or would you enter into an exclusive relationship with the God of Mischief? I don't take such things lightly. You would be mine." Loki promised, eyes flashing.

"Fuck, yes, I won't be bringing anyone home again. Not that I have for the last three weeks, but-" Tony stopped as Loki paused, mouth hovering above the spot on his neck that drove Tony crazy.

"You haven't brought anyone home in that long? What about before?" There was a slight accusation in Loki's voice.

"The time before that... I wanted to see if I could. It wasn't the same, I kept thinking of you, wishing it was you." Tony growled, face tinting.

Loki smirked and pressed Tony against his desk, hips moving, grinding into Tony's. A loud groan escaped both their throats, and then Loki was all over Tony, nipping, kissing, licking. Clothes disappeared and they both took their time exploring the other, under a new title. _Mine_.

A few days later...

Tony was working on a project, zoned out to the rest of the world as usual for the day, when the chair he was sitting on suddenly turned around and a pair of lips crashed onto his. Freezing in shock, he relaxed when he realized it was Loki.

"What's that about?" He gasped when the god finally leaned back to survey his work. Loki smirked at his expression.

"You were not paying enough attention to me. Now you're going to beg for it." He purred. Tony's eyebrows shot up, and he tried to ignore the stirring he felt at the gods words, but when Loki crouched on his knees, eyes intent on the growing bulge in Tony's pants, he didn't think it would be possible without bringing a god's wrath down upon him. And why would he do that?

Loki unzipped Tony's pants, smirking as Tony jerked. "Loki, don't tease me," He whined.

"I have a lot more in mind than just teasing, Tony." Loki whispered with a possessive glint in his eyes. Tony just groaned in response, eyes rolling into the back of his head as Loki grasped his cock in his hands, squeezing slightly. "Gods, that's-" Tony stopped mid sentence as Loki swallowed him whole, jerking up and hissing with pleasure.

Loki waved a hand and made Tony's pants disappear, then got to work ensuring Tony felt every little touch, caressing his balls, trailing his fingers down his thighs, and creating a maelstrom of sensation for Tony, who was helpless under its spell, twitching and moaning until a hand reached up to grip Loki's hair. Tony started thrusting his hips up slightly into the gods mouth, trying to create more friction.

"Loki, I'm going to- ahhh, I'm going to come!" He said, a high pitched whine in his voice. The god looked up at him as he bobbed his head, but slowed and then stopped, ignoring Tony gripping his hair in protest. Loki took his mouth off Tony's cock, letting his teeth trail briefly over the head of it before letting it slide out of his mouth. Tony sobbed for breath at the sensation, desperate for release.

"You will not come until I say so, Stark." Loki hissed.

"Loki- ahhh!" Tony practically shrieked when Loki reached and grabbed his cock, squeezing the sensitive member none too gently. The god made sure to create a magic ring around the base so Tony couldn't come. Loki stood up, looming above Tony until he bent down and nibbled delicately at Tony's neck.

"If you want to come tonight, you will behave. Otherwise I will take my pleasure of you until I am sated and then... then I will think about letting you come." Loki said, breath brushing Tony's ear as he leaned in. Tony shivered, not sure how much it would take before Loki would be satisfied. There were times when they would have sex continuously throughout the day, and Loki would still somehow want more.

Tony could only watch as Loki stepped away and with a flick of his finger, made both their clothes disappear. He writhed naked on the chair, his cock throbbing, moaning at the sight of Loki's cock, hard and leaking precome. He didn't look away as Loki held his eyes, whispered a few words and then reached one hand behind himself and- Fuck.

"Loki, that's... fuck." Tony moaned, eyes wide at the sight of the god stretching himself. Loki smiled, eyes glittering, before hissing and leaning his head back as his arm moved faster behind himself. He finally stopped, mouth opening in a silent entreaty, before his head snapped back up and he was suddenly moving to Tony, turning to position himself over his cock.

Tony reached up and grasped Loki's hips. "Wait, one moment. It'll be worth it." He whispered smoothly. He leaned his head forward, knowing Loki had craned his head to watch him confusedly, smirking before darting his tongue out and touching it to that puckered little hole. Loki gasped, and his muscles clenched. Tony again touched his tongue to the ring of muscle before slowly poking at it, breaching it carefully and swirling his tongue around. It was Loki's turn to writhe, not moving but his body giving little shivers of delight. Tony did this a couple more times before his cock throbbed and he stopped, only smiling as Loki glared at him in protest, pupils blown.

Tony gripped the gods hips and positioned him directly over his cock, before taking a breath and tugging Loki down as he thrust up. They both moaned at the sensation. They were far too close to drag it out, so Tony gripped Loki's hips, fingers tight enough to bruise as he helped him slide up and down on his cock.

Loki leaned back and ground his hips into Tony, moaning louder as Tony suddenly brushed that sensitive little nub inside him. Tony grinned and seized the advantage, thrusting carefully a few more times until he hit it again, and then making a point to brush it with every thrust. Loki was helpless against the onslaught, and soon his breathing was short and fast, he was gripping the desk in front of them with white knuckles, and his body began to tighten around Tony.

"Loki..." Tony gasped. "The cock ring.. take it away so I can come, please."

"What if I don't want to?" The god replied, clenching around Tony harder. He moaned when Tony suddenly stopped, moving away until Loki was just bobbing up and down on his member by himself. Growling, Loki looked back. Tony had folded his arms in front of him, and had a dark expression on his face.

"Then you can come on my cock, but you'll do it by yourself. I'm only here to provide the cock to fuck yourself on and that's it." He said coldly. Loki sighed and disengaged the magical cock ring preventing Tony from coming.

"There. Now stop throwing a fit and come in me. Mark me as yours," Loki practically growled, body throbbing with need.

"With pleasure," Tony hissed before grabbing Loki's hips in a bruising grip once again and thrusting up hard, hitting Loki's prostate. "I'm close," he grunted.

"As am I. Show me what I am, Stark." Loki whimpered as Tony began his assault on his body again.

"You're mine." Tony snarled, dragging Loki back until they were chest to back, the cold metal of the reactor scraping Loki's back as he shifted and moved with Tony thrusting into him. He moaned at the words and sensations as Tony attacked his neck and felt his balls tighten.  
"Ah, Tony, I'm-" The god was cut off as Tony suddenly squeezed the base of his cock, preventing him from coming.

"Not until I say so." Tony said, still thrusting up into Loki. Loki whimpered, but the words only served to make him harder, and he knew Tony felt it by the way his breath hissed out on his back, until Tony was suddenly driving into him harder than before, and calling out his name as his cock jerked inside Loki and finally spurted his seed into the god.

Tony released his hold on Loki's cock, beginning to come down from his climax but still thrusting lightly into the god, his dick still half hard. He hit that nub again and again, spot on each time until Loki tensed and screamed, body tightening around Tony and cock shooting thick white strands into the air. Tony rode him through it before his cock jerked and he came again, a lighter load this time as he emptied himself into Loki, teeth biting the god on the shoulder.

They both stilled in the aftermath, chests heaving in tandem.

"Since the plan seems to have changed," Tony managed slightly breathlessly a minute or two later, "How about we go up to the bedroom and see what we can do about lasting a bit longer than that?"

Loki hummed in agreement, twisting around in Tony's arms to touch his face and press a kiss to his lips before there was a sensation Tony never got tired of, and they were suddenly on the bed, sprawled out across one another. Loki sat up and swung a leg over Tony's body lazily, fingers trailing a line down his chest to his stomach, and lower before Tony was hissing and arching up under him.

"Fuck, Loki, my recovery time isn't that fast!" He moaned with a helpless edge to his voice. Loki only smiled before his hands glinted green for a moment. Tony eyed his lover with suspicion until he suddenly felt every touch and caress as if he hadn't just emptied himself into the god sitting on him minutes ago. His cock jerked, already half hard, and Loki smirked in triumph.

"You bastard, what'd you do to me?" Tony groused with no real feeling behind it as Loki continued his administrations. Loki just smiled and made use of his title of Silvertongue, leaving Tony quite incapable of speech for the next couple hours.

* * *

Apologies for the late update! This week has been exhausting and the next update might be this coming weekend as I scramble to repair the work procrastinating has done XD I hope you like it!


	11. Fragile as Glass

Tony slumped back in his chair, exhausted from fighting all the magical enemies they'd had to handle as of late. It had been one wave after the other of strange magical creatures, and while the team had been able to eventually take them down, too often it ended up with one of them injured, or went on for a day or longer.

"What troubles you, lover?" A smooth voice broke his reverie and he cracked open an eye to see Loki gazing down at him in concern. There was a soft caress, fingers brushing over a gash on his forehead before a cool sensation washed over it. Tony knew it would be gone when he next looked in the mirror and just sighed.

"I have to explain to everyone where these things are going, you know. They're starting to think I'm trying to copy the potion they put into Steve for some reason." He told the god matter of factly. Loki just chuckled and somehow fit himself into the chair with Tony, settling against his side comfortably. Tony groaned as his cell phone rang with a specific ringtone he dreaded.

"Ignore it," Loki mumbled against his chest.  
"Can't. It's Fury." Tony grunted, attempting to get his phone out of his pocket without pushing the god out of the chair. Loki growled and held out a hand, phone appearing in it, still ringing. Tony smiled and pecked him casually on the lips before he took it and flipped it open just before it stopped trilling at him.

"You have reached Tony Stark's answering machine. Please leave a message at the click." He quipped into the phone.

"Stark. Do not mess with me, I'm not in the mood for it." Nick Fury snarled. Tony raised his eyebrows. It must be bad, he thought with a wince.

"I need you to come in. We're having technical difficulties and I have a feeling it's related to the magical attacks we've been having." Fury barked into the phone.

Tony closed his eyes in resignation. He never had any time to himself these days. Opening them, he noticed Loki paying close attention to the conversation and raised an eyebrow.

"Shall I bring donuts, or will I have a keeper?" He asked drolly.

"If you're not here in 10 minutes at the max, I'm not going to be very happy, Stark." Fury said, giving him permission to use his suit to get to the helicarrier instead of being flown with Hill or Natasha watching over him. He shuddered at the thought.

"Righto, I'll be there in 9 minutes and 50 seconds." Tony said solemnly before hanging up to Fury's outraged voice yelling at him through the phone. He smirked at Loki before heaving himself up with a grunt, having all kinds of bruises from fighting, as well as just generally being exhausted.

"Tony, you need to be more careful." Loki told him, eyes narrowed as he looked at Tony when he hobbled away to suit up.

"You try being mortal and dealing with these things that have been attacking day after day," Tony retorted, exhaustion making him sharper than he intended. He stopped and sighed, rubbing a hand over his face wearily. "Sorry," He said quietly. Loki was suddenly there, arms around him.

"No need to apologize," He said softly. "I can sense your exhaustion even now. You won't be as sharp in battle when you're tired like this, and I can't have that happening, because I swear retribution against any who harm you."

Tony looked up and felt a tingle run through him at the sight of Loki gazing at him so possessively.

"Yes, well, let me just call Fury and tell him I no longer have time for him on my calender," Tony said drily. "That would go over well." He snorted at the thought before glancing at the clock and cursing. "I need to go."

Loki nodded, then grabbed him for a kiss before breathing against his lips, "Do not endanger yourself unduly, or I won't hesitate to take action."

Tony stilled at this not so new information before nodding with a smile tugging at his lips and trotting down to suit up. Loki heard the rumble of the machinery moments later and went to amuse himself until Tony came back.

/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\/|\

When Tony walked into the technical control room on the helicarrier, he was met with chaos. There was flashing lights, alarms beeping, and people running all over the place.

"Stark. Good of you to join us." Fury growled behind him. Pretending he hadn't just been frightened out of years of his life, Tony turned and nodded at him before gesturing.

"Really, this is too much, no need to make my time here any more special than it already is." He said with his trademark smirk. Fury just glared at him before walking over to the nearest computer and asking the girl sitting at it what the status was. Her face was pale as she darted a look up at him and said 'Not good.'

Tony raised an eyebrow and walked over, leaning over her shoulder to read what was going on. He caught a glimpse of the readings right before the screen went black. Fury let out a few choice words that made the girl at the computer turn red. Tony just snickered and shook his head at the man before nudging the girl aside as politely as possible so he could attempt to work his magic.

After a few minutes, he bit back an exclamation, and his fingers started flying over the keys. Fury turned to look at him, eyes narrowed.

"Stark, care to let us in on the secret?"

"There's magic trying to hack your system. Don't bother me and I might be able to counteract it." Tony said quickly. Fury stared at him before snarling and striding away. Tony became completely absorbed in what he was working on, the sounds of the helicarrier fading behind him. His eyes burned into the screen, reading what it was saying as he typed before he froze as the screen turned black.

There was silence in the room when a face appeared on all the screens in the room suddenly. All he could really make out was some glint of metal underneath the cowl, and a pair of glowing eyes. It spoke, and really, he shouldn't have been surprised.

"People of S.H.I.E.L.D. It is in your best interests to submit to my magic before I am forced to use extreme measures." It intoned in a cold emotionless voice. Tony shivered then jumped as Fury's voice barked out over his shoulder.

"And if we refuse?"

The eyes seemed to pin Tony to his chair. "I will do whatever I must. My terms are that you desist your futile efforts in combating me, and stand down. I have tracked a source of extremely powerful energy to your location. You will hand it over."

Tony felt a chill as he glanced down at his arc reactor. Barring any surprises from SHIELD, he had the most extreme source of energy in his chest, keeping him alive. He glanced up at Fury almost hopefully, but saw the man looking at him already. He grimaced, feeling incredibly vulnerable. He itched to run and get his suit.

He suddenly glanced around, eyes spotting exactly what he was looking for. He slipped out of his chair and calmly strode over. Fury had his eyes trained on the thing on the screen, and was currently telling it exactly where it could put its demands. Tony smiled, feeling almost fond of the man at the moment.

Seconds before he pushed the button, the thing growled, the sound reverberating throughout the room. "You will rue the day you refused to cooperate with Dr. Doom." It said just as Tony pressed the button and the image fizzed out. Fury spun on him, spotting what he had done.

Tony braced himself for a scathing demand to what he was thinking, but instead Fury strode away, face thunderous. Tony raised an eyebrow, and, damning his curiosity, trotted after him.

"Nick, what the hell? Did you send out a flare, advertising our particular disadvantage when it comes to all things magic? Because there sure as hell have been a lot of things popping up that use magic, and the tam is at the end of its rope when it comes to dealing with these things. So tell me. Why the hell was that thing targeting us?"

"Apparently it wants your reactor technology, Stark. Better keep a close eye on the thing." Nick replied morbidly. Tony just snarled, walking faster to catch up with Fury as he turned a corner. What he saw when he turned the corner stopped him in his tracks. Fury already had his gun out in a lightning fast motion, trained on a... Tony wasn't quite sure what it was actually. Just that he recognized it as something from the face that had been on the screen moments ago. It had the same cowl, but wasn't big enough to actually be the mastermind behind that little stunt.

"Tony Stark, you have something I want. You will hand it over immediately." The thing droned. Tony was just cursing his luck at being caught without his suit. He rubbed his chest, feeling his heart rate pick up to a slightly uncomfortable speed.

"Get in line mister. It's not going anywhere." Fury barked. "Stand down and tell your master we won't comply to his demands."

Tony grimaced. His chest hurt with how fast his heart was beating, but he spared a thought to find it oddly touching that Fury would be so protective of the arc reactor technology. It figured that if he couldn't get his hands on it, he wouldn't let anyone else touch it either, which worked for Tony. The thing raised an arm, and Nick was thrown back, slamming against the wall before slumping down. Tony was calm as it turned its attentions on him.

"I'm flattered, really, but I have someone else at the moment. I doubt they'd appreciate you harming their goods. It's probably best if you stop right now. Or you can wait while I get my suit and we can duke it out properly." He babbled, backing away slowly. The only warning he got was the creak of metal as it raised its arm before he was thrown backwards, rolling before he hit a wall, head thunking against it. He saw stars, and almost passed out, but somehow didn't.  
His chest was now seizing up, and his breath started coming in little gasps. His eyes rolled frantically towards the bot, for that was what it seemed to be, all mechanics and pieces of metal bolted together, commanded by magic. It came towards him, and Tony felt himself float into the air so he could look it in the 'eyes'. He saw that Fury was still unconscious out of the corner of his eye, and cursed his luck.

"Little human, you are at my mercy. Hand over your technology, or I will tear it out of you." Came the voice of Doom through the bot.

"You will do _no_ such thing." Hissed a voice from behind it. Tony closed his eyes in relief as he was dropped. He could only watch as the robot turned to face Loki and raised an arm to throw the god back, only to suddenly let out a beeping sound. Frost coated its edges, and Tony watched with interest as the bot started to jerk spasmodically.

"What have you done?!" Came Doom's voice through the bot, the transmission fuzzy with static.

"I have protected what is mine. If you dare to touch him again, I will see that you die a slow and painful death." Loki snarled, eyes red and the air startlingly cool. Tony knew what it was of course. He had read the myths, knew of Loki's true heritage, as well as hearing snippets about it from Thor when he talked about his brother in the past. However, seeing it with his own eyes was understandably a bit different than reading or hearing about the side of Loki that could turn blue.

"You have no right-" The bot was cut off as Loki froze it completely, snarling a "I have every right." before making a twisting motion with his hand and shattering it. Ice and metal flew, and Tony felt one cut into his leg. He shifted to take a look, finding a small piece imbedded in his thigh. He grunted in pain just before Loki came out of his battle rage and saw him on the floor.

"Tony!" was followed by a string of curses in Old Norse as Loki appeared at his side, eyes focused on the piece of metal in his leg. "Tony, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking, I didn't realize they would do that." He leaned over Tony, hands glowing green before he grabbed the metal out and quickly healed the wound, the only evidence of it being the blood on Tony's pant leg.

Tony was having trouble focusing, the pain in his chest making him zone out. He was sweating, even with how cool it was in the room, and having a still bluish god at his side. His chest throbbed and he cried out, hands clutching at it, scrabbling over the reactor, anything to make the pain go away. Loki cursed and a hand glowing green covered Tony's chest. Loki put Tony's head in his lap, exclaiming softly.

"Tony, try and relax, your heart is under stress." He said quietly, eyes holding the mortals. Emotions were warring in both their eyes, but Tony kept his eyes on Loki as he slowly felt the pain subside, a cool sensation creeping in and replacing the burning. He took a deep breath, still wincing in pain, but able to think and move.

"I hate to break up this touching little scene, but I think you can understand when I ask, what the mother fuck is going on here?"

They both jerked at the sound of Fury's voice. Two heads turned as one to look at the director, currently propped against the wall and staring straight at them. Tony gulped, the pain in his chest forgotten as he realized what could happen. With what had just transpired, Fury probably had more than enough reason to take Loki into custody, even if it was in defense of Tony.

He sat up and attempted to pull the god behind him. Fury still had a gun within reach, and Tony didn't trust him when there was anything that could be a weapon within his grasp. Loki snorted and batted his hand away, eyes never leaving Fury.

"Director Fury." He acknowledged coolly, body tense.

"Loki. Didn't expect to meet quite like this I must say." Nick said amiably. Tony didn't like the look in his eyes as he looked at Loki. Like a cat that got the cream, Nick was mentally licking his lips, Tony thought. He was equal parts amused and disturbed by the thought and image that brought him. Loki looked back at him in concern when he started shaking, attempting to repress laughter, before rolling his eyes and turning back to Fury, assuming the mask of a god once more.

"Director, before you take action, I would appreciate it if Tony could get some medical attention if I must be away from his side. The way his heart is acting, he shouldn't be put under any stress at the moment." There was an underlying steel to Loki's voice, one that made Fury glance at him and then back at Tony sharply before raising an eyebrow.

"I just need one or two questions answered before I decide exactly what I will be doing." And if there's steel to Loki's voice, Fury's is hard with a promise that sounds almost like a threat.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the man, but Tony tugged at his sleeve and shook his head when the god looked down.

"Very well." Loki acquiesced. He eyed Fury expectantly, not about to move until he had to.

Fury just sighed and glared before opening his mouth, not getting a chance to say anything before Tony spoke up.

"Nick, I'm still here, and I will personally haunt you if you dare do or say anything that I haven't approved." Tony spat from his place on Loki's lap.

"Relax Stark. What I have in mind should benefit all of us," Fury drawled. And that was a chilling thing to hear, Tony thought to himself fuzzily.

"Director, I am waiting, but perhaps this can wait if you plan on delaying much longer. I'm afraid my first priority is Tony, whatever you have planned. I hope you can make it quick." Loki said darkly. Fury raised an eyebrow, but nodded after a quick glance at Tony.

"What are your plans? Best not lie to me, god of lies, or I'll have you guys locked up quicker than you can blink." Nick asked, as pretty as you please, as if he were asking for cream and sugar with his coffee. Not that Tony thought he took cream and sugar with his coffee. Nick seemed more like a straight black type, so thick and strong silverware stood up on it. He was outraged over Nick's words, but Loki merely pressed a hand on his shoulder and he grumbled to himself, but kept quiet.

"I have been on your planet for the past couple months with only peaceful intentions Director. This is only aided by having found myself as enjoyably occupied as I have these past few months." He purred the last part, eyes going dark and hooded, testing Fury to see how he would react.

"I'm sure I can find some appreciation somewhere, but I don't have it at hand right now, Laufeyson. Why are you here?"

"Loki Liesmith, Director. I would appreciate it if that name was used instead of the ... others. I'm here to make amends. I've been trying to go about that peacefully these past few months, until I stumbled upon one of your team in a less than savory situation and found it within myself to come to his aid." This last part was said in a softer tone of voice, looking down at Tony, who had his eyes closed and was attempting to breathe through the pain.

"You're both still in trouble for this. Loki, you've just been recruited as our magical consultant given recent occurrences in which we admittedly have little expertise." Nick Fury told him. It wasn't a question, Nick Fury didn't ask. He commanded. There was a resource here, and he was making use of it.

Loki snorted at his words but kept silent, eyes watchful. Tony cracked open his eyes and looked up at him, a breath catching in his throat as his chest throbbed. The god looked concerned briefly, before he smiled smoothly and nodded once at Fury.

"Very well, Director. I will be in contact for the... terms of our agreement soon."

"Not until I'm able to be there," Tony snapped at him before turning even paler and gasping a bit.

Loki growled at him before gathering Tony up into his arms bridal style, and, nodding to Fury, he teleported them from the Helicarrier.  
"Damn Norse gods," Nick Fury muttered as he stood up and went to check on the damage to his computer system.

* * *

Loki teleported them to Tony's bedroom, Loki clutching Tony to him as the man gasped for air.

"Tony. Tony!" Loki called. Tony cracked open his eyes, moaning at the light.

"Jarvis, dim the lights please." Loki requested, settling Tony onto the bed gently. They dimmed accordingly, and Tony opened his eyes again.

"Fuck, this hurts," he groaned. Loki climbed into the bed beside him and lay a faintly glowing hand over his chest. Tony sighed in relief as Loki worked at calming the internal chaos.

"How'd you know to come?" Tony asked him, the thought suddenly springing on him.

Loki gave him a cool glance. "Surely you did not think I would let you run about unsupervised."

Tony lifted an eyebrow at this. "What exactly is supervised? I think I would've known if you were there."

Loki snorted at this. "No, I was not there personally, but my magic monitors you and your physical state. It warns me if you seem to be in danger, and when it started going off, I wasted no time."

Tony shuddered at the look in his eyes. Sometimes he forgot just how dangerous Loki could be, but seeing the look in his eyes was always a good reminder.

Loki took his hand off Tony's chest and sat back, looking at him cryptically. "I've noticed you rubbing your chest quite a lot lately. Does it bother you frequently?"

Tony looked away. "It's always going to hurt," he said quietly.

Loki furrowed his brow. "I can help Tony, my magic is quite powerful."

Tony sighed. "It's not that. It's just... the reactor. They had to remove and shift a lot of things putting it in, and it will never stop hurting. I guess my heart is probably just reacting to the strain of it all."

Loki gazed at him silently for a few minutes. Tony shifted, getting nervous at the indescribable look in his eyes. Finally, Loki sighed and lay down beside Tony, dragging him close.

"I won't let you die." He mumbled into Tony's neck.

"We mortals all have to die eventually," Tony reminded him softly. Loki simply nipped his neck in response before heaving a sigh and closing his eyes. Tony looked at him out of the corner of his eye and smiled just a bit when he saw Loki asleep.

_'So going frosty drains him...'_ He mused. With a grunt, he shifted a bit and closed his eyes to follow the god into slumber.

* * *

Dedicated to all those who are still reading the story ;) We're going places now folks! Please review! Honestly, they spur me on like nothing else, and not many people take the time to say a few words, but I appreciate everyone who does! Enjoy, I'll probably have another chapter next weekend ^^


	12. Complicated Affairs

A few weeks after Fury discovered the nature of their relationship, after which Tony had sworn him to secrecy until the rest of the team found out on their own, or Tony finally got up the guts to tell them, Loki popped into Tony's lab to check in on him. As was becoming normal, they quickly got distracted, and were in the middle of grinding against each other when Natasha walked in on them, having once again overridden the locks. Everyone froze, eyes wide.

"Tony... I think it's time they were told the truth," Loki said slightly breathlessly. Tony just grinned weakly.  
"Dining room. Five minutes. Be there." Natasha bit out, face emotionless, although her eyes never moved from Loki. They flickered to Tony briefly before she turned and strode out the door.  
"Fuck," Tony breathed, resting his head against Loki's shoulder. The god chuckled. "Don't you dare laugh at this you sadistic bastard," Tony groused without any heart behind it.  
"Don't worry, if they threaten you I will show them exactly what they can do." Loki said smoothly, eyes glinting.  
"Nuh uh, no threats anywhere. If they throw one at me, we'll just tell them that Fury knows, and well, since you're still here, obviously nothing can be done about it."

* * *

The dark looks that greeted them when they got into the were daunting, but Tony gripped Loki's hand and hailed them all as if nothing were wrong. Only Steve, Bruce, Clint and Natasha were gathered, which made him considerably more confident.

"Tony, what's going on?" Steve, ever the eloquent one.

"Loki and I are in a relationship." Tony said matter of factly, with his trademark grin in place.

There was complete silence before Clint surged up from his seat with an incredulous expression.

"_**WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?**_ Have you forgotten what that _MURDEROUS BASTARD_ did last year?!" He shouted at Tony.

Tony winced at the volume, grateful when Natasha tugged the archer back into his seat.

"No, I haven't. But he's here to make reparations, and saved me from certain death at least twice already, so I'm inclined to give him a second chance."

"When did he save you?" Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow and gazing contemplatively at Loki, who still stood to Tony's side.

"A couple months ago, I got alcohol poisoning, would've died, but he stopped that, and as you guys know, I don't drink nearly half as much as I used to. The other time that I know of is when I fought Doc Oc and wound up injured. You guys didn't really think I just broke a couple bones, did you? No one hits the ground as hard as I did and survives." He said somberly.

The team was quiet as they remembered the two circumstances he was talking about, all of them still watching Loki warily.

"How long has this been going on?" Steve ventured finally.

"For about as long as I've been clean." Tony shrugged. It was the truth. He caught a small smirk on Loki's lips and struggled to suppress his own.

"I can't believe this," Clint hissed, taking a step forward before Natasha pulled him back and spoke quickly and quietly in Russian. Clint barked a few things back before Natasha gritted her teeth and lashed out, spitting words harshly, face closing down. Clint stilled, staring at her with a look on his face that showed his inner war with himself.

"Fine," Clint said raggedly, still staring at Natasha. Tony raised an eyebrow as he watched the pair, noting the look that entered Natasha's eyes when Clint spoke up, and the minute relaxation of the muscles in the archers shoulders.

_'I knew it!'_ He thought gleefully to himself. He kept his expression stoic, but the mood in the room had shifted with Clint acquiescing to Natasha's demand. Whatever it was. Tony smirked at the thought.

"Tony, just... what the hell were you thinking? This isn't going to end well." Steve said sharply.

"On the contrary, Captain, it should've already ended. Ended when I died from alcohol poisoning." Tony spat out, suddenly furious. Steve winced. "It should've ended the time I fought Doc Oc, and practically smashed myself into the concrete. I was dying when he got to me, I could feel it. When I got to the Tower, you guys say I only had a couple broken bones, as well as a solid knock to the head. Care to explain how I'm alive after both of those incidents, when I should be, by all that is holy, dead?"

Tony stopped, feeling Loki pull him closer, comforting him. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking at the others. Natasha was looking at Bruce however, who carried a faintly bored, slightly amused look on his face. Tony was thrown a bit off kilter, having expected him and the Other guy to be completely against the relationship.

"Bruce, what's up? You haven't said a word." Natasha said.

Bruce looked up, expression unassuming. He turned his eyes to Tony, and then Loki. Tony felt a small shiver run through the god, and might've smirked a bit as he tugged him closer. "Tony, you really didn't think I'd taken objection to your robots, did you?" Bruce said mildly. He had moved his lab equipment out of Tony's lab a week or two before, saying that the robots bothered him at times. Tony had plastered a smile on his face and hidden the hurt at hearing that said about his creations.

"Mind you, I didn't realize it was Loki, although I had the fact that it was a guy and villain pinned down pretty well I think." Bruce said with a small smile.

Clint sputtered at him, and the rest of the team seemed just as shocked, staring at Bruce in amazement. Tony watched Bruce with new respect, having had no idea that they had been so obvious. Although there was that one time... a flush rose on his neck and he met Loki's gaze, who only smirked at him.

"Bruce, if you knew it was someone on the other side of the law, why didn't you report it?" Steve questioned.

"Well, I didn't know for certain. Wouldn't want to create an embarrassing situation for anyone involved would I? So I just kept silent. Tony's business is his own to deal with."

Tony flashed the man a look of gratitude. Really, sometimes he was treated as a five year old, and it irked him to no end. He had an idea as he saw the look on Steve's face and turned to Loki with a hungry expression.

"Darling, we wouldn't have embarrassed anyone, now would we?" He asked the god.

Loki's expression turned positively gleeful for a moment before he contained it and replied with a purr in his voice that made Tony twitch inside. "Absolutely not, lover." Tony gasped as the god dragged him forward into a biting kiss, pulling Tony's back to his chest and wrapping his arms around him. Tony moaned in his throat as it deepened, helpless against its sway until Loki smiled into it and pulled away with a nip.

Tony came back to himself as someone coughed in the background. He turned to the team, a grin on his face that was entirely unrepentant.  
Steve's face was glowing it was so red, Natasha had lifted an eyebrow, looking rather impressed, and Clint practically had bug eyes. Bruce looked mainly unaffected, if slightly disturbed.

"Have I mentioned that Loki is now a magical consultant with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Fury knows about it already, and, well, Loki's still here isn't he?" Tony got out, voice rough.

Most of the team looked surprised by this, Tony noted with interest.

"How'd this happen?" Clint ventured.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we're all caught up that there's a new threat on the horizon. This thing that calls itself Doctor Doom." Tony's lips curled with distaste. "Anyways, we had an incident at the Helicarrier, and Loki popped in handily to save my ass. He also saved Fury."

The team looked at Loki, who was gazing at Tony with a tight expression. "I had to save you because your heart was malfunctioning." The god reminded him, low and concerned. His eyes went down, and Tony followed his gaze to realize that he was rubbing his chest again, in a habit so unconscious that he hadn't felt himself going through the motions until Loki said something.

"Tony, what's that about your heart?" Bruce asked, watching him closely. Tony winced, remembering that Banner normally displayed an uncanny ability to hear private conversations. Perhaps it was because of the Other guy, he mused.

"Nothing to be worried about," he said shortly, before stopping as Loki growled at him. "What?" He snapped at the god. There was fire in Loki's eyes.

"It is not nothing to be worried about. What if I wasn't there to help you and they don't know what to do?"

"Do about what?" Natasha cut in, tired of being ignored. The billionaire and Trickster turned to look at her as one, expressions still uptight.

"Stark here has issues with his heart because of the reactor."

Tony grimaced at Loki calling him Stark. He would have to make this one up later, right now it seemed scarily like people were looking at him in concern. He hated it.

"I'm fine, don't look at me like that. I didn't have my armor, and those little shits of robots are weird as fuck." He bit out, glaring at Loki. The god simply glared back, concern lingering in the background that Tony ignored.

Steve sighed. "Ok, let's get back on track. Tony, you'll explain later about that just in case, alright?" His tone brooked no argument.

Tony muttered a "Fine," before Steve continued.

"Loki, I don't trust you. Tony, you're an idiot. But regardless, we have to rely on the fact that Fury let you live, so that's good enough for me."

_'Ah, Steve in all his naive belief of follow the leader,'_ Tony mused with a small sigh. Clint stood up abruptly to leave the room, and Natasha followed, slower and contemplatively looking at the pair of them.

"I should've seen this coming," She finally said, halfway to herself before she marched out of the room. Steve followed her out after a moments hesitation, not quite looking at the pair of them, but eyes flickering to them as he passed.

"So... meeting adjourned?" Tony asked no one in particular. Bruce sat up with an amused grin.

"For what it's worth... I think you deserve each other. Considering what we know about both of you, you fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. A broken and shattered puzzle, but still, it works." He said softly before picking up his tea and leaving the room.

Tony leaned back against Loki even more after the last team member had left the room, sagging with exhaustion. He was in no shape to have a verbal fight because what Loki had said was true. For some reason his reactor was acting up, and it made his heart hurt. Tony could feel Loki breathe out a deep sigh as the god angled his head down to nip lightly at Tony's neck, right below his ear. The action caused Tony to stir against Loki, wanting more. He angled his head up and caught Loki's lips with his own, but the god stopped before anything got heated, much to Tony's disappointment.

"As much as I would love to continue along with where this is going, you need your rest Tony. I am not yet sure why your heart is troubling you, and what your reactor has to do with it, but making it work overtime would probably not be for the best. You need to sleep now." Loki stepped away and swept Tony up in his arms whispering a sleeping spell as he did so, knowing Tony wouldn't willingly go to sleep without a fight. He thought he had gotten away with it too, but apparently not.

"You know, if you want me to go to sleep, you should really try asking for once. Just because I argue doesn't mean I don't know what's right most of the time. You didn't need a sleeping spell." Tony's words were slurred by the time that he finished his sentence, almost to incoherent for Loki to understand them, but he did.

"Next time then, I'll ask you." Loki whispered softly before teleporting to Tony's room.  
If Tony had been awake he would have probably answered with something snarky, but as it was he was gently snoring against his gods chest as the said god pulled back the covers to his bed and set him down in it.

"What am I going to do with you, you silly, foolish mortal?" With that last comment Loki placed a kiss on his mortals forehead, setting down a spell to let him know when Tony woke up before leaving the room and heading down to where he assumed the kitchen was.

* * *

Hai everyone! It's a bit short, but I wanted to throw this out to say thank you. This chapter is dedicated to all who reviewed/favorited/followed my last chapter! I was going to update on the weekend, but oh my... I got the most reviews ever for one single chapter, and couldn't let it go without a reward XD So a big hug, cookies, the lot for that. I was over the moon XD Thanks also to my beta, for putting up with me ^^; Enjoy! Another update should come this weekend :)

_P.S. Really quickly, recently had someone ask if I knew anyone who would be willing to beta their story. I don't, but was wondering if there's anyone out there who's available, or willing to take a look? Feel free to PM me :) _


	13. Peace Among Enemies

Just a quick note that this picks up immediately after the last chapter, in case there's any confusion. Also, I don't know if it's me, but I felt like there's some OOCness going on this chapter. Obviously it'll happen with the situations I'm putting them in, but in some cases more than others, so apologies for that and the lateness. Enjoy!

* * *

Loki walked into the kitchen, not expecting anyone to be there as late as it was, but not surprised to find Natasha at the table, carving an apple up. Loki grabbed one as well, acknowledging her with an "Agent.". She nodded back at him and only watched with hooded eyes. He sat down at the table silently, and then looked down at the apple in slight dismay. Normally he would carve it, but he didn't want to give the assassin sitting across from him any mistaken theories.

"Here." He looked up and barely caught the knife turning through the air towards him. He looked at Natasha, surprised.

She shrugged. "I want to see what you can do with a knife when you're not gutting people with them."

Loki smirked and proceeded to show off. When he was done, he turned his apple towards her and she looked at it, eyes widening. It startled a laugh out of her.

"Barton would love that." She cackled, staring at the likeness of his face on the apple.

Loki smiled. "Only if he doesn't know it comes from me." He gestured with the apple and she shook her head.

"Keep it, leave it where he'll see or eat it, I don't care. I'm not here to talk about that. I wanted to ask about Tony's heart. He's always been really sensitive about it, but I think you can understand if I ask what exactly is going on in case something happens in the field." Natasha was in full SHIELD agent mode now, piercing him with a stare to read the secrets of his soul.

Loki grimaced. It was a difficult subject. If he made Tony out to be too weak, he wouldn't be allowed to fight, and Loki knew he wouldn't stand for that. Loki was truly worried for him though, having found him pale and sweating from pain all too often lately.

"He's having an issue with his heart. It is not the shards, the reactor is still working on that. It is something else, and since he refuses to let me do anything about the shards-"

"Why?" Natasha cut him off, looking surprised at this revelation.

"Because he says they made him who he is, what he is, today, and I won't go against his wishes. He is so incredibly vulnerable with it however..." Loki trailed off, hand clenching in frustration.

"Stark may be one of the most vainglorious and narcissistic men I've known, but he's also a genius and takes care of his own in that weird way of his if you bother to look deep enough. He takes unnecessary risks, but that suit defines the better side of him, and I think that's why it's so important to him, why he needs to keep that reminder so he doesn't forget what he could become." Natasha said it quietly, but with feeling. Loki stared at her for a few minutes, turning it over in his head.

"I tried." He admitted after a few minutes. "I tried to do it without his knowledge. It was after he came back from a fight, and had a close call with his reactor being damaged. Ever since he told me what it does, how crucial it is, I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't tried."

"What stopped you?" Natasha asked softly, an eyebrow raised at seeing this side of Loki.

"The reactor itself. It guards Tony's heart in every way possible. Even against magic." Loki sighed.

Natasha mulled this over for a minute. "How's that possible? I mean, it's just the arc reactor, nothing magical to it."

"Actually, there's more magic in it than you might think. The reactor was built from Tony's fathers design, correct? And his father had access to study the Tesseract before it was lost."

Natasha nodded, eyes going wide as she connected the dots.

Loki nodded in confirmation. "Yes, what you're thinking is right, in a way." Natasha eyed him oddly at that, wondering how he had read her mind like that when no one else was able to. Loki continued, paying no attention to the look he was receiving.

"Since the arc reactor was built using the Tesseract as a guideline of sorts, it is able to nullify any magic it comes into contact with. That alone prevents me from ever doing anything related to taking over his mind or healing his heart." Loki finished. He looked at Natasha, face drawn with weariness. "Stark practically had a heart attack the other day, but those were under different circumstances, so I do not think he is in danger - yet."

Natasha simply nodded, watching as Loki put the apple he had carved on the counter, along with the knife she had thrown him, and walked out, leaving her alone in the kitchen. She stayed there until dawn, contemplating what she had learned, both said and unsaid.

* * *

Walking to Tony's room, Loki stumbled across the Captain coming out of a bedroom. They both paused in the hallway, unsure how to proceed. Steve narrowed his eyes at Loki, who simply gazed back. It had been a long day even before he met up with Tony and they were discovered, so he was weary and not seeking amusement, as fun as it would've been to play with the mans head.

"You." Steve growled. "I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but I've got my eyes on you."

"Very good, Captain. I would expect nothing less," Loki said quietly. Steve looked slightly taken aback at this before grunting and shoving past Loki. Loki sighed and continued on to Tony's bedroom, where he found the man twisted in the sheets, sweating and mumbling of things from his past.

"Stark, shhh." Loki soothed, going to his side and laying a cool hand on his brow. Tony stilled, quieting under his touch. Loki gently untangled him from the sheets and then used magic to undress himself from the casual clothes he had on, joining Tony on the giant bed. Tony mumbled as the bed dipped under his weight, before settling into sleep once again when Loki wrapped an arm around him.  
Loki lay in the bed for hours considering the past couple days before finally relaxing enough to sleep.

* * *

The next morning both god and mortal were awoken by a loud shriek. Loki jerked up, hands glowing before he dropped the defensive pose and glared at the person in front of them.

"Clint, what the hell are you doing in _MY_ bedroom at this godforsaken hour?" Tony growled.

"I... you.. Nick wanted to talk to us later on, so I thought I'd let you know. What the hell is he doing here?!" Clint looked revolted, as if he could puke, at the sight of Tony and Loki in bed together. When he had come in, they had been curled around each other. It had been sickeningly sweet, and he couldn't stand thinking about it.

"Well, aside from him being my boyfriend and lover, what other reason does he need?" Tony questioned sharply.

"He could still be using you!" Clint protested.

Tony snarled. "Go shoot yourself with an arrow bird brain, before I'm tempted to take the honor."

"I need to go gouge my eyes out now," Clint muttered after Loki pressed a kiss to Tony's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Loki waved a hand and Clint squawked all the way to the door, where Loki's magic deposited him, slamming the door in his face.

"Now, where were we?" Tony murmured, turning to Loki with a hopeful expression. Loki merely lifted an eyebrow and got out of bed, going to the bathroom and closing the door silently. Tony pouted the rest of the day.

* * *

A week or so after they told the Avengers, during which time the whole team had gotten used to finding Loki with Tony or simply somewhere in the Tower(certain incidents involving Clint were not brought up ever again), Tony was pulled out of his contemplation of a project he was working on by a voice.

"Sir, I do believe Mr. Laufeyson requires your immediate assistance in the kitchen."

He looked up, and immediately put down the tablet.

"How immediate is immediate, JARVIS?"

"Sir, Mr. Laufeyson is rather red in the face. I do believe it's urgent."

At the AI's words, Tony ran for the elevator. Arriving in the kitchen a minute later, he scanned the room frantically.

"Loki?!" He called out. There was a gasping sound, and he looked behind the counter and discovered the god on the floor clutching his throat.

_'Poison? Choking?'_ Tony wondered worriedly as he knelt down beside him.

"Tell me what's wrong!" He demanded as he glanced around checking for spills of any kind. The god glared at him and wheezed slightly. He could still breathe apparently. A shaking hand was lifted, and Tony followed the direction it pointed in. There was an open container on the counter. Tony stood up to look at it, and paused, frowning at the symbol on the top.

"Why is there a symbol for toxic material on the lid? This was in the fridge, correct?" He asked the still wheezing god. He received a feeble nod in response. Tony groaned and yelled down the hallway for Bruce, then got a cup of water and tried to help Loki drink some of it. It was spat out immediately with a look of distaste.

"Tony? Where are you? You better not try pranking me again." Bruce's voice sounded from the doorway.

"We're over here, Bruce." Tony replied. Loki was red in the face, wheezing and still clutching his throat, but he didn't think it was poison. Footsteps sounded, and he looked up. Bruce wasn't that loud. He shouldn't have been surprised to find the rest of the team peering around Bruce when he rounded the corner and crouched down beside the god.

Loki cringed back, and coughed harshly. "What did he eat?" Bruce asked Tony, examining the god quizzically.

"There's an open container on the counter, but I have no clue what it is," Tony said. Bruce, as well as the rest of the team, looked up at the counter. There was a gasp, and then chuckles. Tony's head flew up and he glared.

"Mind letting us in on the joke, Clint?" He asked the archer who was bent over laughing. Natasha had a slight flush to her face, and there was laughter in her eyes, but she maintained most of her composure.

She stepped forward, and looked Loki in the eye. "How much did you have?" She asked him. The god glared up at her and lifted a hand to indicate a small amount.

The assassin shook her head. "That's hot sauce. I put it on my food to spice it up. Tony's too unobservant about what goes on around here, so he couldn't have told you."

She smiled and Tony shivered. Loki sputtered, and didn't bother to look at what Bruce handed him before he gulped it down. There was a look of surprise on his face, and he turned to him before asking in a raspy tone, "What was that? It doesn't burn so much now."

Bruce smiled and shook his head. "It was milk, with some honey in it. Milk coats your tongue, so it should provide a slight relief. Just remember not to eat anything in the back of the fridge. That's where Natasha hides her food, for good reason."

There was a chuckle from the group gathered around them, and suddenly things were more relaxed than they had been in days. Clint was still wary, but the rest of the group had seemingly seen a side of Loki that they could relate to. Tony smiled, and pecked the god on the lips, only smirking when he tensed.

He drew back suddenly, a hand on his lips. "Ugh, Loki, there's still hot sauce on your lips. It burns!" He went to the sink and started scrubbing at the burn, only making it worse. There was a hand on his shoulder, and someone handed him a spoonful of... peanut butter? He looked up at Natasha. There was an exasperated look in her eyes.

"When will you men learn?" she muttered before stalking off.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Tony yelled out.

"Eat it! Put it on your lips! It helps!" She yelled back before she disappeared into the hallway. Clint followed, posture still wary, but an amused look in his eyes. Steve and Bruce followed after them, the latter chuckling over what had happened. Only Loki saw the look in Steve's eyes as he turned away from the sight of Tony holding Loki's face in his hands.

* * *

Hello, my wonderful, faithful readers! I've been loving all these reviews, keep them coming! They're especially heartening as I have finals coming up, but making a push to get a chapter out is the result of all those lovely reviews XD Ok, so, just wanted to make sure everyone knew that Loki is not, per se, an Avenger. He's a consultant. Strictest meaning of the word, no field work unless he does it spontaneously, or something happens that they can't control. Don't want to give too much away, but just thought I'd point that out based on a few people saying something ^^ I'm not certain I'll be able to make a mid week post, but the next couple chapters are going to make up for that ;)


	14. Silent Cries from a Lost Soul

Hey all! Hope you all like this, and... my apologies. XD Enjoy! This is a rather late note I'm afraid, but just wanted to give credit where credit is due, my beta TheDarkElement helped with writing this chapter. Thanks for all the great reviews guys! Update coming Wednesday later on.

* * *

Tony didn't much like to think about when Thor found out that Loki was bedding a teammate of his. A day after Loki discovered Natasha's hot sauce collection, the god had told Tony he would take care of it, and then disappeared. Tony just went to his bar, where he happily imbibed until it was all numb and he could barely remember what Loki was doing.

"Loki!" Thor greeted him enthusiastically when Loki appeared in his room where he was polishing Mjolnir.

"Thor." Loki replied civilly.

"What is your purpose in visiting me?" Thor asked. Loki raised an eyebrow, amused at the foresight Thor was showing.

"I have news that I wish to impart. You must give me your Word that you will not do anything about what I tell you however."

Thor eyed him suspiciously. However, Loki wasn't giving him any cause for concern as of late, so he nodded his acceptance hesitantly.

"I am bedding Stark, your teammate." Loki told him bluntly. Thor's eyes widened and he surged up from his seat with a roar.

"THOR! You_ PROMISED_!" Loki bellowed above it.

Thor stopped before he pushed past Loki. "What are you thinking brother? That man is not deserving of you. Mortals are so much more fragile than us, and that man is very promiscuous. You have not seen all the people he has paraded through his bedroom."

Loki smirked at that. "And how many have you seen in the last few weeks?"

Thor furrowed his brow as he thought. "Well... none. He's probably just gotten better at hiding them." He concluded. Loki groaned.

"Thor, it's because I've been with him. Get it through your thick skull." He snapped.

"Brother, you cannot be serious about this mortal." Thor protested.

"I make no promises. He is a very intriguing person," Loki said with a smile, one that Thor had seen many times and knew to be wary of.

Thor sighed and clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Very well, I will let it pass. If he hurts you, I won't rest until he pays for it. He is also my comrade, I ask that you... be careful. His past..."

"I know Thor. It is part of what makes him so fascinating." Loki said, face clouding.

"This affair cannot last long." Thor concluded, face clearing at the thought. It was a pure carnal release, was it not?

Loki growled. "It will last however long I wish it to. I just thought it was best that you knew before you found us in a compromising situation. It is a mutual decision, and I wish you to stay out of it."

"Very well, brother. Since it is only temporary, I will leave it be."

Loki stood silently for a few minutes, debating the pros and cons of telling Thor that it was long past the point of only temporary before he shook his head and decided to let the oaf continue thinking that if it meant Thor wouldn't kill his most recent bedmate.

He strode from Thor's room, making his way to Tony's suite, where he found the mortal sloshed. He sighed in disgust. The boundaries of the spell were weakening it seemed. Tony was still not as bad off as he could've been.

"Lover, what'd you go and do this for?" He growled as Tony focused blearily on him from across the room.

"It's the great god of mischief!" Tony cried, stumbling. Loki watched dispassionately as he fell on his ass. It seemed to sober him up.

"I couldn't bear waiting for you to come back. If you did." He muttered the last part under his breath, but Loki still heard him.

"Why wouldn't I come back?" He questioned sharply. Tony looked up, startled, and then cursed as he realized that Loki had heard.

"Because Thor persuaded you otherwise, because bedding a mortal is stupid. Lots of shitty things crossed my mind. I think too much, and I couldn't stop them." Tony said quietly, leaning back on the floor with a shuddering sigh. Loki took pity on him after a moment and teleported him to the bed.

"Such a pity. I had plans for a celebratory fuck." He said before turning away.

"A what?!" Tony called out desperately behind him.

He smirked before turning around. "Sleep it off and then we'll see."

He left Tony in the bedroom whining, wandering off to see if Natasha would spar with him. He found himself liking the red haired assassin more and more as time went by. No words were necessarily exchanged, but it was the silent way she could read him that amused him the most. Their ways of fighting were very similar, and they were well matched, Loki winning most of the battles because of his history, although she would get the drop on him occasionally when he relaxed his guard.

In fact, he mused, she reminded him a bit of his daughter. He felt a pang at the thought of her._ It's been too long, perhaps I should pay a visit,_ he thought.

* * *

It was a week or two after what Tony began calling the Hot Sauce Incident when everything changed. Nobody could've foreseen it, much less Loki. He had left, telling Tony it had been far too long since he had seen his daughter. Tony shook his head in amusement at the fact that he referred to inter realm hopping so casually and itched to ask about his daughter, but sent him off with a harsh kiss and a promise that there was more to come when he returned.

Loki's eyes lit with a dark fire and he tugged Tony forward, leaving a not so subtle mark on his neck quickly before Tony heard him whisper "I will return within a fortnight. Clear your schedule, because I have plans for you."

Tony shivered and smirked. "Such threats."

"I'll ride you into the mattress and make you scream." Loki promised. He grinned and vanished after seeing the look at appeared on Tony's face.

Tony just growled and went to take a cold shower.

* * *

A couple days later, the Avengers had a callout. Nick met them all as they prepared to go out.

"It's that guy that calls himself Dr. Doom. Be careful." he said with a grim face.

"Don't worry dear, the Doctor is in." Tony quipped. Nick glared and walked off silently. Tony shook his head in amusement and flew off to get an aerial view of what they were dealing with.

He whistled at the sight of all the Doombots littering the city.

"Guys, looks like we've got our work cut out for us." He told the rest of the team through the com.

"Give us what you're seeing Tony." Natasha said curtly.

"Sure thing hot lips." Tony grinned as he gave the command for the rest of the team to see what his cameras were picking up.

"I would think Loki deserves that name more so than I," Natasha returned dryly. Tony could hear Clint choking in the background as he laughed uproariously, momentarily losing his balance in the suit before regaining it. He ruefully thought that Natasha might be his favorite teammate at the moment, just because she reminded him oh so slightly of his lover.

A shot flew past him, and he dodged with a curse. "Down to business guys," he said as he flew down to crush the blasted bot that had tried to take him down.

"Tony, be careful. Nick told us he seems to have it out for you, we can't let anything happen to you." Steve said seriously.

"Aw Cap, you're making me blush. I'm not a virgin maiden awaiting her knight, you handle your part and I'll take care of mine." Tony retorted, feeling a burn at the thought of getting back at Doom for what he had done in the Helicarrier.

"The word virgin doesn't belong in your vocabulary," Natasha put in with a snort. Tony grinned at that before he waded into a mess of bots, ready to do battle.

It was an hour or so later, after the team were all beginning to breathe harder, that Tony flew up to a rooftop to catch his breath, leaving behind many decapitated bots. He landed and leaned against a wall, grateful for a chance to close his eyes without thinking he would die within the next two seconds.

He was interrupted by a crack, not unlike Thor's magic. He was slow in the response, thinking it was just the Thunderer nearby, when a familiar voice invaded those thoughts.

"Stark. Finally, your power is mine." Came the voice of Dr. Doom.

Tony jerked, but it was too late. A shot came from behind him and darkness claimed him. He wasn't even able to make a sound to warn the team before he was dragged away - from the team, and from Loki.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

It was dark when Tony awoke, or maybe that was just his surroundings. Tony could automatically tell that he was in a rounded chamber of sorts, and that the only source of light were the four torches set up and equally spaced along the wall. He was laying on what one could think of as a mattress, but it was made of straw, and not exactly worth a five star rating. Across the room from the mattress was a steel door, the only door in fact.

Despite being in a place that he wasn't used to being, Tony immediately turned to survey the chain that was hooked up to his ankle. The chains attached to his cuff ran into the wall, and the cuff was seamless, not even a keyhole available to pick. Getting out and away was steadily getting more and more difficult.

What was worrying Tony the most, and what he knew with a cold clarity before he even woke up was the fact that his arc reactor was missing, replaced by a crude car battery. This was a problem since the car battery wasn't even powerful enough to grasp at all the shards, and the few that were out of reach were slowly burning their way towards his heart. He could feel it, the steady ring of fire that was slowly encroaching on one of the major organs he needed to live. The only question now was how long could he live on the car battery? How long would a slow death take?

Tony was ripped from his musings at the sound of the door screeching and protesting at being opened. Clearly the dungeons weren't used often enough for their doors to be oiled frequently. Standing in the doorway was none other than Doctor Doom himself, which wasn't unexpected if Tony remembered correctly who had commented before he conveniently passed out earlier that day.

"Tony Stark. As you see, you did not give me your technology easily, so I have taken it from you. Now you will tell me how to make more." Doom intoned, pissing Tony off with how final he made it. His surroundings were pushing him to the edge with the past he had, and even buried as deep as they were, the memories surged to the front.

"Yeah, you see, I don't really do this whole scene well. That tech is mine, and going to stay mine, but feel free to get in line. Don't you have goons that can figure it out for you?" Tony rasped.

"Do not mock me. I will get it from you one way or another. Be it as you cry the workings out to me in pain, or if you tell me now. I will have it, it makes no difference to me how much pain you are in." Doom grated at him.

At that comment Tony kept silent, getting tortured again wasn't really high up on his bucket list in this lifetime. Doom though, apparently mistook his silence for resistance and nodded as gravely as he could, signaling outside of the room to a Doombot who entered and forced Tony to his knees before shackling his wrists together and clamping them down to the center of the floor, leaving him in a bowed position.

"Tell me Tony Stark, I know of the fire in your heart, but how much more pain can you take before you crack? Maybe the whips will pull the answer out of you, maybe not. We shall see."

Tony closed his eyes as the bot took the whip off the wall outside the door and closed in on him. The initial crack of the whip being handled had him opening his eyes before the tail met his flesh and left a trail of fire burning down his shoulder and down his back. He gritted his teeth through the next five, refusing to cry out in front of an enemy By the second set of ten he was seeing spots and reaching urgently to the tunnel of black that was steadily creeping closer.

The thirty first, the one that landed directly on his neck, wrapping around to strike his cheek like a snake was the one that mercifully and finally sent him under and into the sea of black.

The next day after proceeded along the same lines, as did the third. The only difference in the third day was that Doom had another bot pull his nails from the nail bed, and that they felt the need to kick him around like an unwanted animal. He knew for sure that his arm had been broken and some, if not most of his ribs had been fractured by the beating, passing out seemed like heaven to him that day. The fourth day of his captivity saw him whipped again, but this time he only made it to fifteen before the blood loss and the pain of his previous injuries made him black out.

* * *

I'm so sorry for doing this to all of you. I'll hopefully update sooner than normal, but I have finals coming up. To all who reviewed and favorited, etc, you have all my love. Mwah! *sends cookies to everyone*


	15. One Last Kiss

Tony opened his eyes slowly. Everything hurt. He shifted and whimpered, the sound echoing in the room. He looked around, rather surprised that they hadn't started up the torture again. His lips were cracked and bleeding, and he was weak from hunger.

His chest throbbed, and he grunted, looking down at the battery. Everything was fuzzy around him, but he knew without needing to see proof that his time was coming. He lay back gingerly, wondering if it was time to accept that this was the end. By this time, the shards had been under the weak pull of the battery long enough that they would be extremely close to his heart. Death was just about to bestow its final kiss on him it seemed.

He feared what would happen if Doom ever learned the intricacies of the arc reactor. If he had access to its power, and knowledge of what to do to unleash it, the world would never be the same. He gasped at a particularly painful pang from his chest, and his eyes fluttered closed. He fought tooth and nail to stay conscious, not ready to give up just yet.

His eyes opened again, and he stared into the darkness, breathing slowly through the pain. His vision was darkening, but he kept his eyes open as long as he could, desperate for one last glimpse of this world, and unbidden, his mind flew to Loki. After a couple minutes contemplating what would happen after he died, he closed his eyes briefly at the thought of what would happen if the god cared enough to take revenge for his death.

He swam in and out of consciousness for a few minutes, and thus, when he made one final effort to open his eyes, he was startled to find Loki at his side, calling to him, saying something to him that he couldn't distinguish.

"Reindeer Games," He sighed in relief, his eyes fluttering shut as he finally let himself relax. He was safe. If he didn't wake up, he knew everything would be alright. Darkness claimed him and he thought of nothing more.

* * *

_Meanwhile, after Tony was kidnapped..._

The team was unprepared for it. They only realized something was going on after all the Doombots disappeared and Tony didn't appear to take them out for shawarma or some other unique food, as was his habit. Hours passed, and they searched for him. Their only clue was a black scorch mark, as well as drag marks that just disappeared on a rooftop.

Natasha was able to conclude that someone (suspicion rested heavily on Doom after Nick told everyone that he had been after Tony) had teleported there, knocked Tony out, dragged him a short distance then teleported away. Steve got increasingly worried as the days went by with no word from Doom regarding a ransom. The whole team feared Tony dead after the third day. When Loki got back from Helheim and started looking for Tony, he was met with spooked looks and silence.

"Brother, there is something I have to tell you..." Thor stepped forward bravely, faltering in his words, but determined to be the one to tell his brother.

"What?" Loki asked angrily, looking at the the mournful look on Steve's face. "What has happened?" He demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Brother, Tony was kidnapped three days ago by the Doctor of Doom," Thor said somberly.

The team tensed in unison as the air around Loki grew darker and crackled.

"Why was I not told of this?" He hissed.

"How was I to know how to reach you?" Thor said accusingly.

"Must I do everything?" Loki growled. "I'm going to go get him. Have medical supplies ready, my magic is not sufficient to work the spells to get him and heal his injuries." With that, he disappeared. Thor sighed in relief.

"Do not worry my comrades. Loki always finds what he goes after, particularly when he has an attachment to them. Why, there was this one time on Jotun-."

"I'd like to think I don't like Tony much as Loki does," Clint snarked, only to have Natasha smack him over the head. "What? It's the truth!"

Thor's booming laugh followed Clint's startled yelp. "My friends, Loki has a voracious appetite when he finds someone that can keep up with him, he's not likely to let go of Stark anytime soon."

"What will happen when he tires of Tony though?" Steve questioned darkly. For that, Thor didn't have an answer.

* * *

Using his magic to locate the magical tracer he had put on Tony months ago, Loki teleported to his side. The condition he found the mortal in took his breath away, even as he swayed from the drain of the spell before he steadied himself. Kneeling, he caressed his cheek gently, keeping up a shield so no one would see him or come near them. Tony's eyes had opened at his arrival, but now they were closed.

He beat down his concern when the man didn't answer, and gathered him up in his arms.

"Tony? Tony, come on, you've got to stay with me." He said softly. Tony's eyes fluttered opened, and he moaned.

"Reindeer Games," He breathed hoarsely through cracked and bleeding lips. Loki winced and looked around, eyes alight with fury. Tony slumped in his arms and Loki looked him over in concern, his gaze drawn at once to the car battery dangling from his chest in place of an arc reactor. One arm appeared to be broken without having been set, a couple fingers on the other hand were bent out of shape, and he had what looked like whip marks all over his chest, stomach, back and legs.

Loki hissed in anger. _'Doom shall not survive the night for inflicting this pain upon you!'_ He vowed to himself. Tony was silent in his arms.

The god surreptitiously used his magic to find out how bad Tony's injuries were. The diagnosis wasn't good, and his expression tightened. There were tears leaking from Tony's closed eyes, and Loki was more than slightly alarmed at the pallor of his skin.

Loki soothed him before gently scooping him up in his arms and chanting a spell to get them both out of there. They reappeared in the medical bay at the Avengers tower, with Bruce standing a few feet away. He looked up at the pair, shocked, before running to Loki's side and helping him set Tony down on the bed already prepared.

The rest of the team arrived within minutes after Jarvis informed them that Loki had appeared with Tony. Taking in Tony's condition and Bruce's expression, there was a tense silence as Bruce worked over Tony, absorbing the information Loki relayed to him about internal injuries with a silent nod.

There were exclamations of dismay at the car battery being used as an arc reactor, and Jarvis directed Bruce to Tony's spare, under heavy security for obvious reasons. Loki watched with a murderous expression on his face as Bruce listened to Jarvis instruct him on how to replace it so the arc reactor was placed correctly.

Looking back at the team, Loki met Thor's eyes. Thor looked at his brother and his eyes widened upon seeing the dark expression on Loki's face. Loki ignored Thor's look, knowing full well what his expression looked like, but he couldn't take his eyes off the blood that painted his hands.

"Brother, do not-" Thor was cut off as Loki disappeared. He sighed heavily. "It would appear Loki has gone to destroy whoever did this to Tony. He cares more than I thought he did."

The team looked at him in silence before Clint shrugged. "I'd give a few things to be where he is." he said quietly, somberly. The others couldn't help but agree with him.

* * *

Loki teleported himself back to courtyard of the castle where he had found Tony, surveying his surroundings before twitching as a voice called out to him.

"Sorcerer! It seems you have taken my prisoner. What services do you offer in reparation?" The voice was arrogant and deep, echoing slightly as if coming from a suit of armour.

"Services? I will see that are you kneeling and begging at my feet for taking what was mine!" Loki roared, letting the anger he had suppressed at the sight of Tony laying on the bed barely breathing surge through him.

"Dr. Doom does not beg. Prepare to be punished for taking my prisoner, if you have nothing to appease me."

Loki saw red. His hands glowed emerald before he began shooting bolts of energy at the man hovering above him in a metal suit. Caught off guard, the creature that called himself Doom fell from the sky with a screech. The spell Loki flung at him bound him where he fell, and the god strode over, shaking with suppressed anger.

"_YOU_. How dare you take what I had placed a claim on. You will suffer for this." He hissed. A twist of his hands and there was a pop as bones twisted and broke inside the metal suit. The creature inside screamed, and Loki grinned in savage satisfaction.

"Tony Stark has a source of energy powerful enough to rule the world with. Join me, we can conquer them together!" Doom grunted at him. Loki snarled and broke a few more bones, twisting metal until there was red collecting on the ground. He lifted an eyebrow, mildly impressed at the resilience of the thing before him.

There was a sound behind him and he whirled, but the other sorcerer had caught him off guard with a latent spell, buried in the cobblestones of the courtyard, activated when there was blood spilled.

A strained laugh came from Doom before he summoned a vehicle with a magic of his own. He deflected a few of the Loki's own magic bolts before Doom shot one last spell at him and flew away, still laughing madly.

Loki stared after him, breathing heavily, eyes staring at nothing, but seeing Tony. He looked up at the castle and snarled before raising his hands and chanting a spell. He slumped when he was done, but smiled darkly as sounds came from the fortress looming in front of him. He frowned briefly, looking to the skies before he teleported back to the Tower.

* * *

The team looked up when he arrived, taking in his expression and the way he stumbled before silently looking back to where Tony was thrashing, still unconscious, on the table. Loki closed his eyes in pain at hearing the whimpers before he strode over, putting a gentle hand on Tony's forehead and soothing his pain.

"It is but a small reprieve," He rasped. "My magic is too depleted to help him with anything major at the moment."

"What about Doom?" Steve asked, face hard.

"Got away. He no longer has a castle to go back to however," Loki said with no small amount of satisfaction.

"Got away?" Clint said in disbelief.

Loki snarled. "Not before I inflicted some harm, but I needed enough magic to get me back here and pursuing him wouldn't have left me such energy. Rest assured, he will not be forgotten." There was a dark note in the gods voice that made the rest of the team wary, bodies automatically twitching into slightly more defensive positions.

"Guys, let's not get hasty now." Bruce, surprisingly, was the voice of reason amidst the tension. Steve took charge, ordering Natasha and Clint to go update Fury and to stop them from tearing each other and Loki apart. He hadn't missed the way Natasha looked at Loki, calculating, but without the hard air she usually carried around him.

Thor clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder and rumbled something reassuring at him. Loki didn't hear it, his eyes only for the broken mortal on the bed before him. When he finally looked up again, everyone had left the room except Thor.

"Brother, you need rest." Thor said quietly, silently supporting Loki as he swayed to the side.

"I won't leave his side." Loki whispered raggedly.

"I will hold vigil over him while you rest. I am sure I will be joined by the others. They care for him too, you know."

Loki drew in a breath to retort, but thought better of it and turned, gripping his brothers arm in thanks before slowly making his way to Tony's bedroom and falling into it fully clothed. He buried his face in the sheets and inhaled, Tony's scent still strong on them. Before he could start thinking too much into what had happened, his body relaxed, comforted by the familiar scent of his lover and he closed his eyes to sleep.

* * *

He woke up a few hours later, tearing himself out of a nightmare where Tony was dying in his arms. He stared into the darkness for a few seconds before pushing himself out of the bed and practically running to the medical bay. It was dark, lit only by a few lights that gave off a dim glow. Loki strode into the room, making his way to Tony's bed as quickly as possible. His heartbeat only started to slow down after seeing the steady in and out motion of him breathing and he grabbed Tony's hand to reassure himself. The back of his neck prickled and he whirled, alert and wary.

"Relax, it's just me." the low throaty voice came out of the darkness and Loki sighed, slowly pulling back into a casual posture.

"Widow." He greeted.

"Come now, let's not do that. Call me Natasha at the very least." She said, making her way from a dark corner of the room.

Loki lifted an eyebrow, taken aback by the courtesy. "Natasha then," he agreed softly. "How has he been?" he asked anxiously, looking back at Tony.

"Hasn't moved since I took over watching," she said grimly. "Steve took over after your brother went to eat, and I volunteered when he got tired."

Loki looked at her, not sure how to thank her for reassuring him as she was doing. She smirked at him and waved a hand minutely, letting him know she understood without any words what he was trying to impart.

"Has Bruce said anything?" He questioned, knowing of any of them, he was the one to ask.

Natasha shook her head. "He said he'll check in a few hours. This was a bit ago."

There was silence as they both turned to look at Tony, the beep of the machines a steady hum in the background. A couple minutes later, Bruce walked in. Natasha smiled and nodded at him. He muttered a quiet greeting to them before walking over to Tony, looking at him worriedly when he saw Tony hadn't moved from his position.

Loki watched with curiosity as Bruce performed several tests, opening his mouth to protest at one as Bruce pinched and then slapped Tony lightly, before Natasha stopped him with a shake of her head. The grim set to her mouth during and after the tests told him the prognosis wasn't good and a knot formed in his stomach.

Bruce finally turned to them, taking off his glasses and rubbing a hand wearily over his face. He put his glasses back on after cleaning them, and Loki barely restrained himself from screaming at the man to get on with it.

"Tony... well... I think we all knew he was in bad shape." They all looked at Tony. He had been cleaned up, and dressed in a hospital gown, bandages covering most of the wounds, but Loki still cringed as he saw the red edges of cuts, and the way the casts jutted out awkwardly.

"Bruce... please, tell us, what's wrong?" Natasha asked, her voice business like while a hand gripped the back of Loki's shirt, holding him back... from what, he wasn't even quite sure, but he knew they all probably wouldn't have liked it. He was raging inside, barely keeping himself in check.

"Tony has fallen into a coma." Bruce said bluntly, giving Loki a look that made him rethink a few things.

"What exactly is a... coma?" He asked.

"It looks like they kicked Tony around, and a few too many of those jolted his head. I don't know how he was able to remain conscious until you brought him back, but the head trauma caused him to fall into a coma. I suspected when you brought him back, but I needed more time to determine if he was actually in one, as well as running a few tests."

"What can you do for him?" Loki burst out.

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can make him comfortable and monitor his condition. This is his body's way of healing itself from the severity of all these wounds. In the long run, perhaps it's for the best, because he doesn't have be in agony whenever he wakes up."

Loki turned away, distraught. The knot that had formed in his stomach when he found Tony now grew, going from a tiny knot to a tangle in under a second. He whirled around, eyes wide but with an inner flicker of barely contained hope.

"He will wake up, won't he?"

Bruce winced. "People have been in coma's for as little as a few hours to a couple years. This wasn't medically induced, his body did it of his own choosing, and I don't want to rush anything."

Loki stared at the doctor and then looked at Tony. He noticed small white cuffs on his wrists, as well as rails on the side of his bed. Bruce noticed his gaze and reassured him.

"They're only to ensure he doesn't hurt himself." Loki nodded before turning around, expression tight. Natasha leveled a look at him, watching him warily before letting him walk out undisturbed.

"I don't believe I've ever seen him like that," Bruce said thoughtfully.

"And I think we've misjudged the level of attachment they have for each other," Natasha said quietly before leaving the room, leaving Bruce to turn and look at Tony contemplatively.

* * *

Natasha caught up with Loki, walking silently with him for a few minutes before speaking up in that way of hers that demanded your attention.

"He'll be fine, you know. You shouldn't stress too much. Rest, we'll keep an eye on him. I'm sure Bruce is bringing in whatever experts he can to work with him, to give Tony the best care possible."

Loki stopped, still not looking at her. "But I can't help him, Natasha. My magic..." He trailed off and reached a hand up to tug at the hair on the back of his head, a twisted expression crossing his face just long enough for Tasha to catch it. She knew in that moment the Loki was cracking on the inside without his magic, without being able to help Tony.

"Loki, you're not the only one going through this," Natasha reminded him softly.

He looked at her fleetingly before nodding once more and striding away. Natasha watched him, wondering what the next few days would bring.

* * *

Tony slowly opened his eyes. _'Where am I?'_ He wondered. He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. It was white, all white, everywhere he looked. He rubbed his eyes, not sure what he was seeing, if he was seeing at all. Unless that was the fabled white light, in which case, no way in hell was he walking into it.

"Tony Stark. You should not be here." A smooth as silk voice said. Tony turned and his eyes widened at the sight before him. A woman stood a couple steps behind him. She was taller than him, but that wasn't what startled him. It was the dark blue color of half of her body that drew him in with it's familiarity. One side of her body was dark blue, faint runes marking the skin that was visible, while the other half was fair, golden locks weaving gently down her back, in contrast to the straight black silk that originated from the other side of her head.

"You... are you... what-" Tony stuttered.

She smiled gently, the other half of her face lighting up with amusement. The side that wasn't dark blue glowed, while the reddish eye of her other half glinted with dark humor.

"My name is Hel. I think we have a mutual acquaintance. Come with me, Tony Stark, you are not supposed to go down that particular path yet."

Tony nodded his head silently, shock making him go quiet for once. There was a cloudiness preventing him from naming why she was so familiar, or why he knew her, but he trusted her without knowing why. He proceeded to follow her when she beckoned, walking towards a solid red door in the distance.

* * *

The next two days were torture for Loki. Experts were flown in, but they took one look at the extent of Tony's injuries and told them to give it time before trying alternative methods to wake him up. Bruce told everyone that ultimately they couldn't just wake him up, as badly injured as he was.

Every word was just a kick in the gut to Loki, as his magic had barely started trickling back. He was vulnerable and weak without it, performing many tasks himself that he would never actually do without magic. The team was amused when he came stumbling into the kitchen for food, hair still messed up from sleeping on a chair next to Tony's bed. The positions he slept in staying next to Tony had garnered a wince from Steve and Natasha before they ordered a bed brought in for Loki so he could sleep close to Tony.

The last two days had also given the team much to think about as they saw the vulnerable side of Loki while he stayed by Tony's side, not eating until Thor or Natasha reminded him to. Clint wrinkled his nose at the sappiness of it all, but let it pass. Steve wasn't quite sure what to think, but gave Loki a chance, and plenty of space. Thor and Natasha were the only two who checked in on him and Tony every couple hours, occasionally finding Bruce sitting reading a book while the god slept at Tony's side.

* * *

It was the evening of the fifth day when Natasha walked down the hallway to Tony's part of the medical bay, but paused as she heard what sounded like a choked back sob. She walked forward cautiously, unsure of what she would find. She peeked around the curtain, and just stared, not knowing how to respond.

"Loki?" She called softly, uncertain if she should intrude.

The god stilled, his back to her, head leaning against the wall. She couldn't see his face to be certain, but it had sounded like... Natasha shook her head in confusion at what she had heard and what the obvious conclusion was, in connection with the person in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door open and Clint walked in silently. She held up a hand and motioned for him to stop and not come any closer. He was hidden by the curtain from Loki's view, but she wasn't sure how alert the god was, and Clint rubbed him the wrong way on a good day. This wasn't a good day.

"Bruce... Bruce took some X-rays today and found something. He hadn't x-rayed the reactor before because he didn't have any reason, but he did now to make sure nothing was wrong, and he has discovered what the trouble with Tony's heart is." Loki relayed numbly.

Natasha lifted an eyebrow, intrigued. "What happened?"

"When he was injured fighting that despicable creature with arms, it was jarred, shaken enough that he is vulnerable. His condition was only worsened by the torture... the damn shards have done terrible damage while under the weakened influence of the car battery Dr. Doom had him attached to. The shards...they've moved closer to his heart, closer than they should be." Loki's voice was hoarse as he told the assassin the news.

Natasha inhaled a sharp breath. With what the god had told her about not being able to help Tony with removing the shards, she knew it wasn't good.

"He's still alive, he's got the arc reactor now, and he's got you." She reminded Loki cautiously. She didn't know how off balance Loki was, but she had seen the emotional connection, and didn't want to push Loki over the edge when he was so distraught.

"What if he never wakes up?" Loki whispered, fist coming up and banging against the wall solidly. Natasha raised an eyebrow at the impressive dent he put in the wall with that one hit.

"He will. His body has only shut down so it can heal, I'm sure Tony will come out of it when he's ready." Natasha said with as much conviction as she could muster.

"I pray you're right," Loki said softly. There was something unsaid hanging in the air that gave Natasha a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she dismissed it, turning her thoughts to making sure the unstable god in front of her didn't go on a rampage if his lover didn't wake up, or worse, died.

She winced at the thought. Tony was brash, and acted five years old sometimes, but he helped keep the team alive, and always had something to say in the darker moments. She wasn't used to knowing she would miss someone if they died, but Tony was one of the few people she would miss, and she wasn't sure how to handle this revelation.

"Bruce is here with him, and once his injuries have healed a bit, I'm sure the experts will consider waking him up. The methods these days have good results."

Loki sighed and turned to face her. Clint was still hidden from his view, listening to their conversation with an odd expression on his face. Natasha took in the weariness on Loki's face and almost reached out a hand as he swayed.

"Go rest," She said abruptly. Loki looked at her, defeat in his eyes and just nodded. She was surprised when he only raised an eyebrow at Clint's presence behind the curtain before he walked into the room connected to Tony's, where he had taken up residence. He had only

She heard the bed in the room squeak slightly as if he had fallen into it, and motioned for Clint to follow her as she walked away after checking to see if Tony was being watched over. Steve was by his side, sketching as usual. She was quiet until they reached the doorway, before taking the chance to elbow Clint in the side.

"What was that for?" He yelped.

"I felt like it." She replied. He gave her a dark look, but she only looked back at him dispassionately.

"Fine, fine, so I'll give him a second chance. Doesn't mean I have to like him after hearing all that."

Natasha just shrugged and smiled, walking away. Clint muttered to himself and trotted after her.

* * *

Loki woke up to the desperate shouts of the team coming from Tony's room. He was there in a flash, throwing himself out of the bed and running through the doorway that connected their rooms to find chaos.

"What is happening?" He questioned harshly, trying to quell his fear at the sight of Tony so pale and lifeless looking.

"He's going into cardiac arrest." Bruce replied shortly, dragging forward a machine. Loki could only watch in silence and some horror as they pressed metal to his chest around the reactor and electricity crackled through the small paddles, akin in a way to what his brother would do. He dismissed the thought as soon as it presented itself though, fearful of what something so powerful would do.

A machine started beeping, and he realized it had been missing, where previously it had been constantly there. He watched something on the screen careen up and down.

"That's his heartbeat." The Captain spoke from beside him. He glanced at him briefly before looking at the machine closer. "It tells us that his heart is still beating." the Captain added. Loki had a new found respect for the machine, and felt slightly comforted at the steadiness of the noise coming from it.

Slowly the team trickled out after Bruce declared Tony safe, leaving Loki to stare down at his lover in despair. His magic was taking too long to replenish itself, and not being able to do anything was infuriating to no small degree. He dragged a chair closer and slumped down in it.

"Tony... come back to me. Please." He whispered hoarsely. A whisper of sound drew his attention, and he whipped his head around, staring at Tony's face, waiting with baited breath. Tony's hand twitched and Loki stared at him with comically wide eyes until it hit him and he ran to the door.

"Bruce! _BRUCE!_"

The doctor arrived at a run, face pale until he saw the quiet figure on the bed with machines beeping steadily.

"His hand... it moved!" Loki exclaimed. Bruce lifted an eyebrow and strode over the bed, examining the chart and readings the machine gave him.

"There's no difference for the last couple minutes..." Bruce said slowly. Loki's expression fell, and he slowly approached the other side of the bed.

"Tony." he sighed.

Bruce watched with amazement as Tony's eyelids fluttered. "Loki... talk to him." He said softly. Loki looked at him sharply, but nodded slowly.

"Tony, you've got to come back to us. Nothing's the same without your bad jokes and egotistical chatter."

Bruce snorted at that but kept an eye on Tony as his eyelids fought to open.

"Tony? Tony, if you can hear me, do something. Anything." Bruce said in that calm way of his.

Tony was still for a few moments, during which Loki didn't breathe, until he took in a gasp of air upon seeing his lovers hand twitch. Bruce immediately started bustling around his bed, running tests and taking measure of things until Loki was watching him through narrowed eyes. Bruce stopped and looked at Loki. "I'm just making sure things are normal, and his body doesn't have any adverse effects from being in a coma. He's still going to have a long recovery time." He said soberly. Loki growled. "Not if I can help it. My magic is almost recovered enough, I will not let him lay in this bed helpless while he recovers. Never mind the fact that he wouldn't stay in it for that long, and would probably re-injure himself."

Bruce raised an eyebrow in amusement, but nodded in silent agreement. He was slightly relieved to hear it, having known Tony as he did.

Tony's eyelids fluttered again and they both turned their attention to him.

"Tony?" Loki breathed out tentatively. Tony's eyes opened, dragging as if they were connected to weights before his gaze finally met what it was searching for. Tony made an effort to move his mouth, and managed a semblance of a smile before his eyes fluttered shut once more. His hand squeezed once on Loki's before it loosened and Loki glanced fearfully at the machines, making sure Tony's heart was still beating before he gave a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the chair beside the mortals bed.

Bruce raised an eyebrow and examined a few things, checking Tony's vital signs and ensuring no wounds needed to be rebandaged. "Right. Looks like he'll be fine for the next few hours. Give a shout if anything beeps too loudly or stops beeping." Bruce tossed over his shoulder as he headed out the door. Loki was already half asleep, relief making the stress of the past few days suddenly weigh heavily along with the exhaustion that sought to pull him under.

The god mumbled something under his breath before his head nodded to the side, and he too entered the world of dreams.

When Natasha came down a couple hours later, she was greatly amused by the picture that greeted her. Loki had slumped forward onto the bed, and had a line of drool trailing out of his mouth. Clint joined her after a couple minutes and shook his head.

"At times like this, he looks incredibly human." the archer commented gruffly. Natasha shot him a glance.

"Yes, very unassuming of him, to fall asleep next to his lover after everything they've been through." She agreed innocuously. Clint just glared and both silently left after a couple minutes, wondering what the future would bring.

* * *

What. A. Monster. This chapter has kicked my ass, I can tell you that. Also, I can't stop examining it for some mistake or another, so please, if you see one let me know. If I keep editing, you guys would never get an update, and I feel terrible for making you wait this long after that last chapter. *hands out conciliatory gifts to her readers* Anyways. I have one more week of high school work before winter break, so I'm not able to update until either later next weekend, or a mid week update after that. Hopefully things will be steadier after that for a while at least. Enjoy, and as always, I love feedback! Kisses to all of you still with me ;) Also, if you have a Tumblr, I'm Hiddleschallenged ;) My beta is AnElementalistsDarkLove ^^ Look forward to hearing the response!


	16. Stay Mine

Loki opened his eyes groggily. He was slumped over Tony's bed, and had the mother of all cricks in his neck. He grunted and slowly lifted himself upright, grimacing as he rotated his neck. A moment of hesitation as he searched within himself and he sighed, finding his magic coming back, slowly but surely. He didn't have enough to help Tony heal completely yet, and that was his main goal. He looked down at the man in the bed and slowly reached a hand to caress his cheek, afraid that it had all been a dream.

Tony's eyes fluttered and Loki sighed in relief. It hadn't been a dream, Tony was awake, out of the abyss. He stood up and groaned as he stretched, hearing several things pop and twinge. He turned back when he heard what he thought was a whine from the bed. Confused, he leaned over Tony and caught it again. A distressed whine in his throat, a minute turn of his head, eyes fluttering as he was ensnared by disturbing memories that returned to haunt him in his dreams.

"Shhh, Tony, it's alright, you're alright." Loki whispered, hoping his voice could calm the man. Tony stilled and his eyes fluttered open a crack. Loki gazed down at him anxiously. Bruce had warned him about the damage that could've been inflicted from the beatings Tony had taken, and they had no way of knowing just what could have been damaged.  
Tony's hand moved, and Loki gripped it, watching as Tony's eyes slid shut once again, and he fell back to sleep. Loki sighed and sat back in the chair by his bed, his eyes never moving from Tony's face.

* * *

Tony's first conscious thought was of the pain. It surrounded him, blinded him, but also told him he was alive. He struggled to bring the most recent events to the front, knowing they were important for some reason. He remembered a garden, a woman and a path. There was a sound that came from somewhere around his legs and he paused, puzzled. He then realized his eyes were closed and began the process of opening them. For something so small, it was an arduous task, and when he finally managed it, he found himself blinking rapidly to clear the tears from how bright it seemed.

His small grunt at the light awoke the person sleeping on his bed, and Tony saw a blurred form move around and lower the intensity of the lights. Tony sighed in relief before blinking a few times more. Finally able to see clearly, he squinted and looked around. He was in the medical bay it seemed.

"Tony?" a soft voice asked. He turned his head slowly, struggling to maintain his grip on consciousness. He saw a familiar shape at his side.

"Wha?" He grunted questioningly. Or rather, tried to. It came out rather garbled. Loki leaned closer, and his face took shape in Tony's line of sight. It was worried, Loki brushing his face with a cool hand. Tony sighed. It felt nice.

"Tony, you're too warm. I'm going to call Bruce in."

Tony tried to raise an arm and keep that familiar presence by his bed, but he was too weak. He grew frustrated, but couldn't do anything but growl and toss his head. There was a tingling sensation all over, like the blood rushing back into his veins, and he stilled, exhausted just by his small efforts. Before he knew it, his eyes were closing and he was falling into the darkness once more.

Loki strode back into the room, explaining to Bruce what he had felt and seen when Tony woke up. He stopped short at the sight of the man once again asleep on the bed, and couldn't stop his expression from falling. Bruce clapped a hand on his shoulder, but Loki couldn't stop his expression from becoming guarded, stuffing all emotion behind a curtain.

"This is normal," Bruce commented calmly. "He's doing well for the damage that was inflicted. You said he was able to speak?"

Loki nodded. "He spoke, but it wasn't clear, and he looked like he was having trouble seeing with how bright the room was. Also, he couldn't move normally. My magic is almost strong enough to help him out, but it won't be soon enough for me."

Bruce looked at him thoughtfully. "Well, for the most part, he'll be out of it, so at least there's that. By the time he's waking up and conscious of the pain, you'll be able to help him, right?"

Loki nodded, expression easing a bit at the realization. They both whipped their heads around at a noise from the bed, and strode over to it. Bruce took one look at Tony's face, twisted with pain and body straining away from something they couldn't see or hear. He looked back at Loki and stopped himself from comforting the god that the nightmares were probably going to be normal too. Loki had a dark foreboding expression on his face, and Bruce didn't imagine knowing that it would be normal for Tony to have nightmares about being tortured would ease his own self torture.

"He needs you right now. Your voice does something for him you know. Go on, talk to him, be there for him. He's going to need just that in the coming weeks more than your magic" the doctor commented softly before walking out. Loki looked back at him before shuffling to Tony's side and taking his hand.

"The sooner you get your ass out of this bed, the sooner I can tell you what a bastard you are for doing this to me," Loki said softly. He watched with some amazement as Tony stilled, his pained thrashing ceasing. He continued to talk, not even aware of what he was saying and watched as Tony's face turned towards him and slowly relaxed until he was breathing deeper and steadier.

* * *

Several days passed, in which Loki was a constant presence by Tony's bedside, most of the time murmuring to him until he went hoarse. Tony slept deeply and soundly most of the time with the god by his side. Bruce continued to monitor his vitals, lifting an eyebrow at the improvements he saw occasionally. Loki had apparently recovered enough to help in a small way. However, the majority of his injuries were still there, if a bit less severe.

It was about a week or so later when Tony was finally able to open his eyes and stay conscious for longer than five minutes. The first thing he noticed was that it was dark in the room, with only a small light in the corner illuminating the shape on his bed. He had to blink several times, but came to realize it was Loki, slumped over his legs asleep. The movement of him shifting woke the immortal, and he gazed blearily at Tony before realizing he was awake.

Eyes widening, Loki sat up and scooted closer. "Tony?" He asked softly, waiting for the man to fall back asleep as he had done on several previous occasions.

"How long?" Tony rasped. The words stumbled out of his mouth, but were as clear as he could make them.

"It's been about two weeks since I brought you back." Loki said simply, eyes never moving from Tony's face.

"What..." Tony paused, face twisting as he struggled to form the words. "What... happened?" he finally gasped out. He moved an arm, struggling to sit up, and fell back with a bitten back yelp.

"Careful!" Loki chastised, moving to help him. As gentle as he was, it didn't stop Tony from biting his lip so hard it bled by the time they got him sitting up. Loki winced and wiped it away gently before answering his question.

"You remember being kidnapped by Doom?" Loki asked, receiving a nod in response. "I... I'm not completely certain how long you were there, or what they did to you. I couldn't extract revenge for you. I'm sorry. But I brought you back here and you went into a coma." Loki paused, still uncertain as to how he felt about that word, and how to express what he had felt at being told Tony might not wake up.

Tony's hand was moving, shaking as it made its way towards his face. Loki took hold of it and just stood there, gazing down at their linked fingers. "You almost died on me, you bastard." It was a haggard confession, whispered so quietly Tony wasn't sure he had heard right at first. He was unsure how to handle this side of Loki, the one that seemed so on edge and concerned for his safety. Nonetheless, he tugged him closer with what little strength he had, and motioned for the god to lay down beside him. The bed was not a standard hospital bed, so Tony was lying on a plush mattress that was just under full size, with more than enough room for Loki to slip in beside him.

Loki slid in carefully, keeping a careful watch on Tony's face to make sure he wasn't jolting him. He finally settled in with a sigh, and Tony moved his head to lean against his shoulder before heaving a sigh himself and closing his eyes. Loki's body relaxed, relieved at not being in the twisted position that normally happened when he fell asleep in the chair. Within minutes, they were both asleep, much to the bemusement of Bruce, who came in to check on Tony a few minutes later.

* * *

A week later, Loki stretched as he woke up and turned to look at Tony. It had become a regular occurrence for him to sleep beside the man now, and they both seemingly slept better for it. Bruce had reported a dramatic improvement in all Tony's vitals and the injuries and the broken bones were healing up nicely, as were the whip marks. Loki winced at the thought of them. While his magic was still not strong enough to go through a major healing ritual, he could do small things, and that included closing up the gashes on Tony's body so they didn't keep reopening and bleeding. Tony was a restless sleeper, and it had happened many times.

Loki also preferred to do it while he was asleep for the pain it caused Tony. Healing broken bones was no laughing matter, magic or no magic. It drained both of them, and inflicted pain on Tony as his body went through the process.

"How's he doing?"

Loki looked up at the voice. It was Natasha, who had slipped in while he was lost in thought.

"Better, I think." He replied thoughtfully.

"I can keep watch if you want to take a break," she offered quietly. Loki nodded and muttered a thanks as he made his way out. He was in sore need of a shower and food, and the past couple weeks had cemented his opinion that Natasha was someone he could trust for the most part.

"Brother! Good of you to join us. We are breaking our fast, come and sit down!" Thor boomed as he made his way past the dining room. Loki hesitated, wondering if he should take a shower or eat first. The smell of whatever was cooking reached his nostrils and his mouth watered.

_'Food first, then a shower,'_ He thought, letting his nose lead the way to the dining room.

Loki was in the shower two hours later when the alarm sounded.

"Avengers, assemble." was broadcasted through the entire tower. Loki immediately shut off the water and rushed to get dressed. Natasha would need to leave the medical bay to respond to the call, and he didn't want Tony by himself.

Tony was awoken by the speakers in the medical bay blaring the "Avengers, assemble.". His brain went on auto pilot, used to stumbling out of bed at all hours of the night to answer that call. He had swung his legs over the side before the pain made itself known. His feet made contact with the floor, and immediately buckled under the weight, weak from being confined to the bed for the last few weeks.

_'Must... get up. Avengers... need me..'_he thought fuzzily. Blackness swooped in to claim him, and he sank into it with a weary sigh.

"Tony! TONY!" The voice was frantic, and there was someone patting his cheek. "Tony, come on, don't do this to me. I just got you back." Was breathed quieter, but he heard it nonetheless. He opened his eyes and immediately shut them, moaning at the light. There was a curse and the brightness behind his eyes ceased.

"Loki?" He whispered hoarsely.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Loki asked him, sounding furious.

"Avengers... were called." Tony gritted out. Apparently his pain meds had worn off. The waves of pain were making spots appear in front of his eyes.

"Tony... Tony, focus! I can't lift you onto the bed by myself, as much as I wish I could." Loki said sharply, softening towards the end.

Tony grimaced, but moved to put an arm around Loki's shoulders. Once they were situated, Loki slowly stood, hating the expression that passed over Tony's face. His body wasn't thanking him for any of this, and they both knew it. Loki turned them slightly so Tony was able to lay back on the bed. He did so, and Loki helped him move so his head was on the pillows once more. They both stopped and breathed a sigh of relief once the ordeal was over.

"Why... are you still here?" Tony questioned weakly. His heart was beating rather fast, and given the amount of pain he was in, he couldn't tell what hurt and what didn't.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked with no small amount of confusion.

"I'm just a broken mortal, I can barely stay awake long enough to manage a word or two. Why do you stay when there's nothing for you here?"

Loki paused before he spoke, feeling faintly hurt. "Were we not in a relationship?" He questioned quietly.

Tony turned away, brows furrowed. "I didn't quite figure this happening into the terms and conditions. I would understand if you didn't want to stick around."

Loki growled. "You are mine. That bastard took you from me, and I will not tolerate it happening again. That means I'm staying here, whether you like it or not."

He made to move away, to puzzle over what Tony was trying to say, but a hand shot out, surprisingly fast for the weakened state Tony was in, and clutched his shirt. He paused, not looking back.

"Please. I don't know what keeps you here by my side, but I know I would be lost without you. Dead actually, if you hadn't found me." Tony whispered.

Loki growled, knowing all the while that it was true. "I couldn't let you die." he told the man quietly.

"Why not? I'm sure there's a lot of people who would be happier for it," Tony said raggedly.

"Because you..." Loki faltered, the revelation he was about to speak still new to him. "You ground me. The darkness... it doesn't go away. It lingers, lurking in the corner of my mind, sometimes it whispers, sometimes it screams. But when I'm with you, it's no longer able to tighten its hold on me, show me the madness that's lurking underneath. I stand on a precipice between madness and a semblance of sanity."

Tony was quiet behind him, but kept his grip on the back of Tony's shirt. Loki turned around, and found him looking up at the god with a broken expression.

"Tony?"

"I..." the man stumbled over his words, and they piled up in his throat. He growled in frustration before taking a breath as Bruce had told him to and clearing his mind. "I can't be that for you. It... it wouldn't be prudent, to make someone like me the key to something like that. God knows I'm barely able to keep myself sane, much less help you keep your sanity."

"But that's exactly it," Loki breathed, moving to Tony's side and brushing a hand over his face. "We keep each other balanced." He leaned down, touching his forehead to Tony's, feeling the slightly overheated brow smooth at his touch.

"I didn't realize how invested you were." Tony said quietly.

"How invested are you?" Loki asked curiously, turning the question on him. Tony shifted and turned around to stare in the other direction. Loki climbed into the bed beside him, careful not to jostle him unduly.

"I... couldn't say." Tony said finally. Loki looked at him, confused.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm shit at discussing emotions. Just ask Pepper, I'm sure she would be happy to tell you of all the times I failed at it." Tony said, slightly bitter.

Tony..." Loki reached out and touched his shoulder, trying to suppress the hurt when the man flinched.

"It hurts, ok?" Tony growled, turning back to face him with a wince, and oh, Loki hated not being able to help his lover heal.

"What exactly hurts?" Loki said softly.

"The thought of you leaving. I don't know how I would survive that." Tony said. Loki was silent, so Tony continued, lost in the pain that washed over him at the thought of what would happen if he knew Loki wasn't coming back.

"The thought of you leaving... I wouldn't survive that. It's so incredibly easy to end it." Tony said while brushing his arc reactor with his finger tips. He found himself pinned down suddenly, Loki's eyes flashing down at him.

"Never! Do you hear me? Don't you dare do that! Don't even think about it!" Loki snarled at him. Tony blinked owlishly up at him. Loki sighed and rolled to the side, not able to face Tony with his thoughts running amok.

"Just stay by my side and we'll both be fine," he said simply, after a couple minutes had passed. An arm snaked around his waist, and he rolled to face Tony.

"Seems we're stuck with each other, for as long as I'm around." Tony said with a weary smile. Loki sighed and shook his head slightly, eyes going dark for a second.

"Loki?"

The god shook it off with a smile and brushed his lips against Tony's forehead. "Sleep. Your body needs to heal."

Tony sighed and relaxed. Within minutes, his breathing was slow and deep. Loki held him through the night, mind going over the fact that a mortal held him and his sanity in strong, but short lived arms.

* * *

Hai guys! So I'm writing this up, have a fairly simple plot outlined for this chapter, when.. bam. I just... vomited all kinds of feels in there. I zoned out writing, and then come back and find that. Heh. Enjoy?

So sorry for the late update, got caught up in the holiday bustle, and the relief of being out of school. Only one more semester to go, can't believe it. Anyways, thanks for being so patient, and for the great response to last chapter! Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and have a Happy New Years!


	17. Mortality

It had been two months since Tony was rescued and fell into, and then out of, his coma, and it had been hard for everyone, but most especially Tony and Loki. Tony's injuries were well on their way to being healed, superficially at least. The broken bones and trauma still lingered, despite Loki's best efforts to aid his healing. It was painful for both of them, as well as extremely draining. Tempers grew short, and Tony snapped at Loki, with Loki snapping back that he had only been trying to help and storming away.  
Later that night, Loki woke up to screams, by now accustomed to them. He ran to Tony's room, almost able to do it in his sleep. Tony was thrashing, his cast banging against the rails they had set in place just so he didn't fall over the edge of the bed. His motor skills still weren't up to par, and it infuriated Tony to no end.

"Tony! Tony! Wake up!" Loki barely avoided a flying fist before he pinned his arms down as gently as possible. Tony was screaming until he suddenly stopped, gasped and sat up, eyes wide and chest heaving. He sat there for a minute before he look around and caught Loki's gaze.

"Loki." He said breathlessly. Loki nodded slowly. Tony reached out and touched his cheek with a shaking hand.

"I dreamed Doom had gotten you. You were gone. I couldn't-" Tony's voice broke.

"Shhhhh, I'm right here, don't worry about it, I'm not going anywhere." Loki said soothingly.

"I couldn't save you. I couldn't stop him. You were gone, and-" Tony babbled on, eyes wide, caught up in the memory of the nightmare. Loki sighed and climbed into the bed with him.

"You haven't had a nightmare in a week or two. What brought this on?" He asked softly. Tony shuddered in his arms and fell quiet.

"Tony?" Loki prodded.

"You... you weren't there beside me." Tony whispered lowly.

Loki furrowed his brow and looked at him before blinking. "Oh." Ever since Tony had woken up, Loki had been a constant presence by Tony's side. However, pissed off by their argument, he had decided to sleep in the other bedroom for once.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize what it meant. I won't do it again." Loki whispered reassurances into Tony's ear until he felt the other man relax and breathe deeper as he fell asleep. Loki sighed and settled in beside him, resolving to talk about it in the morning.

The next day, Tony woke up to find Loki gone. He sat up with a small grunt, some ribs were still healing, and looked around. He needed to go to the bathroom, and they'd recently told him he could do it on his own two feet if he had assistance. There was no one to help him however, so he tossed the bed covers back and slowly but surely swung his legs over the side of the bed. He took a breather, and then started to slide off.

His legs crumbled beneath him and he fell with an almost, but not quite muffled exclamation of anger and pain. There were moments when he would tell his hand, his fingers, to function in one way, and they wouldn't obey. Therapists, doctors, hell, even Bruce assured him it was normal and that nothing had been damaged to the point of where he wouldn't gain it back. It was still entirely too frustrating of a process, and dammit, it was taking far too long.

"Tony?" Bruce called when he entered the room and didn't see Loki or Tony.

"Over here." The man in question grunted.

"Tony, I should've known this would happen." Bruce only sighed when he saw Tony's predicament. He helped him up, and then guided him to the bathroom when Tony indicated that's what he needed. They were just walking back to bed when Loki walked in. He looked at the sheets and then Tony and the pieces clicked.

"Did you try to get out of bed on your own?" He asked calmly.

"Uh, no?" Tony said weakly, with a chuckle.

"He only made it as far as the floor." Bruce interjected calmly. Loki glared at Tony, and Tony stuck his tongue out at him. Bruce let him lean against the bed before stepping back. Having the support of the bed let him move around and get the blood flowing without the danger of falling flat on his face.

"Tony, all you had to do was wait or call for one of us." Loki scolded lightly.

"Do you know how frustrating it is to not even have complete control over one's own limbs?" Tony asked darkly. Loki's face softened.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to try..." He trailed off, unsure. Tony shook his head with a sigh, before their attention was caught by Bruce coughing quietly.

"Um, guys, I had something I needed to talk to you about. There's currently another issue we need to address, before it becomes a problem."

They both looked at him with confused expressions on their faces. "What problem?" Loki asked suspiciously.

"Well, the one where Tony's reactor was pushed around." Bruce said quietly. He noted Loki's hand find and grasp Tony's until the knuckles went white.

"You said a few weeks back he was out of danger?" Loki questioned sharply. Bruce had discovered a temporary fix to the fact that the reactors pull was weaker in its current position.

"I did, yes. The shards aren't going anywhere, but it's only a temporary, if I didn't make that clear to you before. I want to get him in surgery as soon as possible, since he's stabilized from everything else.

Tony squeezed Loki's hand. "It'll be fine, I trust Bruce to do what he needs to." Loki looked him before sighing and nodding.

"Alright, let's go ahead with it. When did you want to do it?" He asked quietly.

"I was thinking within the next couple days would be ideal. You guys discuss it and let me know." Bruce said amiably. He nodded and left the room to leave them alone.

"Has it been hurting you?" Loki questioned slightly anxiously.

"No, not so much that I notice at least." Tony said thoughtfully. That didn't exactly reassure Loki, but he shrugged it off.

"When you were asleep, I thought I heard you say Hel. How do you know that name?" Loki asked Tony. The man blinked at him in confusion. I thought it was something I made up. After I..." he grimaced and shook his head.

"What?" Loki pressed.

"I had a dream. I met someone called Hel, and she told me it wasn't my time, that I had to go back. I don't remember much else."

Loki was staring at him, wide eyed. Tony looked back at him in concern.

"Lokes? What is it?" He asked his lover in concern.

"Tony... Hel is the goddess of the realms of the dead. She is also my daughter." Loki whispered quietly. Tony blinked as he processed this information and was simultaneously engulfed in a tight embrace. Loki held him close, and drew in a shuddering sigh. "I shall have to thank her, for not letting you leave me." he muttered into Tony's neck.

"Wait, so... are you saying the only reason I didn't die is your daughter refused to let me?" Tony's mind was running a million miles a minute, trying to wrap around the idea, and it made his head hurt. He grunted into Loki's shoulder, and the god drew back.

"What's wrong?" He said upon seeing Tony's expression. Tony indicated he'd like to get back into the bed and Loki gave him a hand getting settled before climbing in beside him. He tapped a hand on his chest once he was comfortable, reminding Tony that he was waiting.

Tony gave a weak smile. "Just reminded of my own mortality. Not something us humans like thinking about. Much less the fact that the goddess of the underworld wouldn't let me in." He gave a small chuckle at that.

"Do you remember your surroundings?" Loki asked thoughtfully. Tony frowned.

"I think I remember a... bright light. It's hazy." Tony said slowly. Loki looked at him with a frown.

"Well, she might have refused to let you die, but that wasn't the realms of the dead."

"Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to Valhalla." Tony joked. Loki gave him a look and he went quiet. They lay there in companionable silence for a while, before Loki finally sighed and looked at Tony. The man had fallen asleep, exhausted by his excursion to the bathroom. Loki hated seeing the fact that his lover was still so weak, but remained grateful that he had him back. He lay back and curled himself around Tony before closing his eyes as well.

Later that night, Loki detangled himself from Tony, who was still sleeping quite heavily after going through a few exercises Bruce had told him he could try, and eating dinner, and headed upstairs to refresh himself and get some food. He found Natasha and Clint in the kitchen, eating something. They exchanged nods before Natasha indicated a dish on the counter and told him Steve had made lasagna and he was welcome to take some.

Clint watched with some amusement as Loki got a plate and made his way over to the dish before staring at it in confusion. Natasha stifled a snicker before she got up and made her way over to help him.

"Here, like this." She said, deftly cutting him a large portion and putting it on his plate. He murmured a quiet thanks, and then sat at the table, across from where Natasha and Clint had settled their plates. Natasha sat back down, picked up her fork, and started to finish her meal. She watched Loki out of the corner of her eye as he hacked at the lasagna, and finally managed to get a piece to his mouth, trailing cheese. A glance at Clint revealed he was holding in a chuckle. They finished their portions in silence before both assassins got up and put their plates in the sink. Clint walked out the door, but Natasha stopped before Loki and waited until he looked up at her, a bit of sauce on his lip.

"How's Tony?" She asked quietly. He gave her a look, but nodded his head and answered with an equally quiet "He's doing fine. Bruce wants to correct the problem with the reactor soon."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at this. "So soon after what he's been through?" she questioned sharply.

Loki shrugged helplessly. "He says what he was able to do is only a temporary fix, and that it should be done as soon as possible. Tony is healing, and is out of danger. I would rather he wait longer, heal more. I can't do anything."

Natasha looked at the god closely. His fists were clenched, but not because he was angry at Bruce or Tony. No, he was furious with himself, and how he wasn't able to help Tony more. He drained whatever magical reserves he had as soon as he had anything, in an effort to heal Tony. At Bruce's recommendation, Loki had focused on internal issues before he tried to heal the various other scrapes Tony had gotten.

Natasha looked at him. It seemed odd that he would run out of magic so easily, when all he was doing was healing Tony. "What else are you doing?" She questioned sharply, as a thought came to her.

Loki looked up at her, and then slowly smiled. It was tired, but there was a sharpness behind it, with an acknowledgement to her skill.

"I'm also trying to track down Doom." He said in a smooth voice. The one he had used before he let down his guard around them all. It bespoke of his years of cunning and trickery, and had a deadly promise behind it when he said Doom's name.

"I realize you want to tear the son of a bitch apart by yourself, but do us a small favor and let us have a piece, hm?" Natasha said with a lilt to her voice. Loki's face darkened, but he saw the expression her face and finally nodded. The thing that was Doom had taken and harmed one of their own, and he saw he had underestimated exactly how far they would go for each other, in this band of misfits who didn't trust easily.

"Very well," he agreed easily. He didn't want to kill Doom. Oh no. He would take him apart piece by piece. He would break Doom, and then bring him back to do it again.

Natasha made a note to herself about keeping track of Loki when she saw the look on his face. It was one she had seen on others faces, as well as on herself. An intense focus, filled with a purpose as they took someone apart for information. She didn't think Loki would be doing it for information however. She found the fact that he could be so detached more alarming than she would've if it had been a killing rage. She left the kitchen quietly, and found Clint waiting for her. He was chuckling to himself.

"What are you laughing at?" She asked him sourly.

"He... the cheese.. and the way he looked at it.." Clint descended into laughter, using the wall to hold him up. Natasha blinked at him, taken aback. She hadn't seen him like this in a while. She waited while the archer recovered, wiping away tears of laughter before she shook her head at him and started to walk down the hallway.

"What did you say to him?" Clint asked as he trotted to catch up and fell in step beside her.

She shrugged. "Just asked how Tony was doing." She narrowed her eyes a fraction as she thought about what they should do if Doom was ever discovered and Loki got to him before they did.

"Nat?" Clint asked her curiously, seeing the look on her face.

"It's nothing. For the moment." She said quietly. He left it alone, but she could see he was still curious about what had her so tense. She was in no way distracted when she took Clint down a notch in the training room later however.

After Loki had grabbed a shower and made his way back to Tony's side, he found the man awake.

"I passed Bruce in the hallway, he said you'd have something to tell me." The god told him as he climbed in beside Tony.

"Yeah..." Tony said slowly. Loki turned and gave him a look. "Bruce said that he has a surgeon who's available tomorrow. He says it'd be best to just go through with it and get it over with tomorrow while everything is in order."

Loki tensed. "Tomorrow?" He asked shortly. Tony nodded somberly, lines around his eyes tightening as he thought about what could happen.

"And you agreed?" Loki said quietly. Tony nodded, staying quiet for once. Loki looked at him and finally sighed as he lifted the covers and slipped into the bed.

"I am not able to do anything with the reactor, but... I would like to be there." Loki told him. Tony turned his head and rolled his eyes at the god.

"As if you would have it any other way." Tony said dryly. Loki just smirked at him. Tony kissed him impulsively and then drew back.

"You taste like spaghetti sauce." he said. Loki looked at him.

"I had something Steve cooked. Natasha called it 'lasagna'." Loki said. Tony started laughing at the look on the gods face as he pronounced lasagna before he stopped with a grunt, but the smile remained on his face as he lay back and pulled Loki to his side. They fell asleep like that.

* * *

I couldn't express my horror at myself or how sorry I am that it's been so long, but here's something new. Dedicated to all you loyal fans who are still reading, wouldn't be here without you. Thanks, and enjoy!


	18. Don't Give Up Yet! Authors Note

Hey there! Absentee authoress here. First off, I want to apologize to each and everyone of you who have read, favorited, followed and reviewed my story in the past two months. I realize it's looking like I've abandoned the story, and it won't continue or be completed, but while I have gotten a bit off track and am fighting my muse, I have not lost sight of my hopes to complete this story. I am still very excited for what I have planned for it, and have high hopes to complete it. However, I must apologize further, for I cannot pick it back up until I am finished with school. I graduate in a bit over two weeks, and have been very busy trying to finish school early and make sure last minute things are done with regards to what I have still going. I'm homeschooled, and realizing just how much you can accumulate through four years of sticking with the same school, teacher and so on. I'm very excited to be graduating, but its also a nerve racking process, so I hope you'll forgive me and be patient enough to wait just a bit longer until I've done the deed and have my feet back under me. I'll be searching for a job after graduation, but no fear, I hope to pick the story up and give it new life after everything is settled.

I hope everyone is having a marvelous spring, and that you have enjoyed what you have read thus far. Thank you for sticking with me, if you're still holding onto a flickering ember of hope that the story will continue. I haven't forgotten!

Much love to you all!


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